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Photo:
Scene. Published by IMEMC News

Post on X using the hashtag #AllEyesOnTheWestBank to draw global attention to Israel's intensifying military campaign in the West Bank. Credit: Screenshot. Published by Haaretz

A Palestinian woman and her triplets, displaced by the IDF West Bank operation, at a shelter center in Jenin last month. Credit: Raneen Sawafta/ REUTERS. Published by Haaretz

Smoke billows from the site of several explosions during an Israeli airstrike in the West Bank city of Jenin, February 2, 2025. Credit: AFP/MOHAMMAD MANSOUR. Published by Haaretz

Israeli soldiers deploy at the entrance of the Tulkarm refugee camp on February 5, 2025. Credit: AFP/ZAIN JAAFAR. Published by Haaretz

Palestinian children and journalists disperse as Israeli tanks enter the Jenin refugee camp on February 23, 2025. Credit: AFP/JAAFAR ASHTIYEH. Published by Haaretz
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by IMEMC News
Feb 27, 2025

The Israeli occupation continues its aggression on the city of Jenin and its refugee camp for the 38th consecutive day, leaving 27 Palestinians killed and dozens injured, along with widespread destruction of infrastructure and property.

Jenin Governor Kamel Abu Ar-Rob stated that the ongoing aggression has resulted in significant losses amounting to 20 million shekels daily, especially with the continued closure of the Al-Jalama military roadblock, preventing people from historic Palestine from entering Jenin.

He noted that the fate of around 6,000 students studying at the Arab American University remains uncertain, as the occupation continues to prevent them from reaching the university, in addition to preventing workers from going to their workplaces.

He added that the occupation is attempting to completely change the features of the refugee camp by bulldozing and digging three meters deep in the ground to build military towers around the Jenin refugee camp.

Abu Ar-Rob pointed out that since the first day of the aggression, the occupation army has been changing the geography of the refugee camp by creating new streets and expanding others, in addition to demolishing entire neighborhoods.

He noted that forcing the residents of the Jenin refugee camp to evacuate is a prelude to the occupation’s long-term presence in the area.

This morning, the occupation forces took measurements of the home of Islam Khmeisa in preparation for its demolition.

Last night, the army assaulted several young men around the Yahya Ayyash roundabout in Jenin, while the occupation forces deployed Eitan armored vehicles around the refugee camp and continued to bring reinforcements accompanied by bulldozers to the camp, amid the hovering of military helicopters and drones and the bulldozing of the area around the Martyrs’ Cemetery in the camp.

The occupation army continued its movements with tanks on the outskirts of the Jenin refugee camp, specifically in the Al-Jabriyyat neighborhood, near the Al-Aseer Mosque, and other neighborhoods of the refugee camp.

The UNRWA Commissioner-General stated in a press release on Wednesday that the West Bank has become a battlefield after the occupation killed 50 citizens in five weeks.

He added that the West Bank is witnessing serious repercussions from the Gaza offensive, and the citizens are the first to suffer from these repercussions, calling for an immediate end to the occupation’s aggression.

The army continues to burn homes inside the Jenin refugee camp, bulldoze roads, and expand others.

Israeli soldiers also continue to prevent and chase citizens who try to reach their homes inside the refugee camp to take their essential belongings such as clothes and blankets, especially in the cold weather and with the approach of the holy month of Ramadan.

The displaced Palestinians face significant difficulties as their displacement continues for the 38th day, with fears of remaining outside their homes throughout the holy month of Ramadan.

The occupation army also prevents local and international press crews from entering the refugee camp to document the destruction and cover the occupation’s practices against the citizens.

In addition, the army continues to seize several homes and turn them into military barracks, especially in buildings close to and overlooking the Jenin refugee camp.

Furthermore, water supply to several neighborhoods in the city remains cut off due to the army’s bulldozing of roads and infrastructure, making it difficult for crews to repair them amid the ongoing occupation presence.

Since the beginning of the year, occupation forces have killed 91 Palestinians, including 16 children in various regions of the occupied West Bank.

It is worth mentioning that Israeli forces have killed 40 citizens in Jenin, 18 in Tubas, 14 in Tulkarem, 10 in Nablus, 5 in Hebron, 2 in Bethlehem, 1 in Qalqilia, and 1 in occupied Jerusalem.
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As Palestinians Fear a Repeat of Gaza, Activists Abroad Call for #AllEyesOnTheWestBank

As the IDF intensifies its military operation in the West Bank, the specter of Gaza is ever-present: 'Each day feels like we're waiting for something terrible to happen,' says one mother. Amid an online campaign led by activists abroad, Palestinians warn they need something 'more powerful than a hashtag or an angry post'

by Nagham Zbeedat for Haaretz
Feb 27, 2025 4:09 pm IST

As the Israeli military operation in the West Bank enters its 35th day, the army has evacuated 40,000 Palestinians from the Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams refugee camps – all the while pulverizing civilian infrastructure. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has said that IDF forces will remain in the area for a year at least.

On the ground, Palestinians are sharing first-hand accounts of displacement and terror as the military presence intensifies. Online, social media users launched the campaign #AllEyesOnTheWestBank to draw attention to the escalating offensive.

The situation in the West Bank has become increasingly dire, affecting daily life, education, and employment, says Hala, a 21-year-old third-year student of English Literature and International Affairs at Birzeit University, from Tulkarm. Hala is a pseudonym; all the interviewees cited their personal security as the reason not to be referenced by their real names.

"Going in and out of the city can be dangerous," Hala told Haaretz, describing the impact of Israeli military checkpoints. "Traffic and inspections can hold you for hours; sometimes, you're sent back home, wasting an entire work or school day for nothing."

The constant army raids have also forced many families to evacuate their homes without essential belongings. "They leave with nothing – no money, no clothes, and, often, nowhere to go," she said. "The Israeli army establishes military bases in residential areas, keeping us in a state of constant fear. Every day feels the same but with renewed fears."

Those displaced often seek shelter in mosques, schools, or, for the fortunate few, overcrowded apartments. "It's cramped, but at least it's a roof over their heads," she added.

Hala is concerned about what she described as the looming threat of ethnic cleansing. "We fear that we're next. The horrors that people in refugee camps are enduring could soon extend to us."

While online campaigns sought to draw attention to the West Bank, she expressed both determination and frustration. "Exposing crimes and assaults against us is crucial. But Gaza did that, and it didn't stop the killing and destruction," she said. "Something more powerful than a hashtag or an angry post needs to be done."

Faraj, a 27-year-old marketing and salesperson from the city of Jenin, fears the West Bank is on the brink of collapse. "Everything is out of control, and that is terrifying," he says. Once politically active, he now avoids public criticism, wary of the Palestinian Authority's crackdown on dissent and Israel's widespread use of administrative detention.

Amid escalating Israeli military raids and settler attacks, many Palestinians feel abandoned. "The Palestinian Authority talks about security, but who protects us from the army and settlers?" Faraj asks. He draws comparisons to Gaza's chaos, warning that lack of international intervention could push the West Bank toward the same fate.

His frustration is evident: "We are under an occupation that controls every aspect of our lives." For many, the dream of an independent Palestine feels increasingly out of reach. "If I had the chance, I'd leave. No one expects a solution anymore," he admits, reflecting the despair of a generation trapped in uncertainty.

Arin, a 29-year-old stay-at-home mother from Jenin, spends her days caring for her three young sons, a six-year-old and four-year-old twins. But between playtime and bedtime stories, there's an ever-present fear she cannot escape: the growing threat of annexation and what it means for her family. "It's scary to think that we're nearing a war the Israeli government has always promised to start. Each day feels like we're waiting for something terrible to happen."

For Arin, the news from Gaza is more than just a distant tragedy, it's a haunting glimpse into a future she dreads. "I watch the children in Gaza, barefoot, hungry, and tired. And I can't stop thinking about my children – if they're going to be on the news one day living through the same horrors." Arin added, "It terrifies me because it doesn't feel far away. It feels like it's coming closer."

Her greatest fear is personified in the images of Gazan mothers searching for their children among the rubble. "When I see mothers in Gaza digging through ruins, calling out for their kids, I see myself." She continues, "I see my hands in the dust, my voice breaking. That thought never leaves me."

Arin describes how fear shapes even the smallest moments of their day. "My eldest birthday was two weeks ago. We threw him a small birthday party at home, but we couldn't invite my sister and her kids because they live in a village near Nablus." Nablus is an hour's drive from Jenin, but with the closure of some streets and the unpredictable checkpoints, the trip can take hours, says Arin. "He's the eldest but he's still too young to understand the occupation's role in our lives."

As the world's gaze remains fixed on Gaza, Arin feels her family's struggles are invisible. "Sometimes it feels like no one sees us here. Like our lives don't matter. But we're here." Despite everything, Arin holds onto a simple wish for her children, one that feels increasingly out of reach. "All I want is for my boys to have a normal childhood. It shouldn't be too much to ask."

At 31, Sari, a nurse from Ya'bad, a town in the northern West Bank, has already lived through more uncertainty than many. Married with two young children, a boy and a girl, he once worked as a construction worker in Israel, a job that provided for his family but came with its own disadvantages – not seeing his family for months, cramped in a room with other workers and lacking basic working rights. When the war began, his work permit was revoked, forcing him to rethink his future. Now, he works at a local nursing home, practicing the profession he trained for.

"Losing my job in Israel was hard, but what scared me more was the thought of being stuck there when the violence escalated. The fear of being separated from my family was always there, at the back of my mind."

For years, Sari crossed checkpoints and spent long hours away from his family to provide for them. But after seeing what displacement has meant for so many, he's made a firm decision: even if the opportunity to work in Israel returns, he won't take it. "I won't go back. I've seen what happens to families torn apart by war. My children need their father. My wife needs her husband."

Sari also reflects on how his story is just one among thousands and stresses the importance of international attention and support. "People talk about war, about politics, but they forget the stories of ordinary families – people like us, just trying to live. International support gives us hope." He added, "We need the world to keep speaking for us, not just for headlines but for real change."

Online campaign
Pro-Palestinian activists and politicians have launched a social media campaign to shift focus to the West Bank. Some of the most popular hashtags are #AllEyesonJenin, #AllEyesOnTheWestBank, and #Tulkarm.

Jewish Voice for Peace, a U.S.-based anti-Zionist organization, posted an image on X of the Jenin refugee camp after Israeli airstrikes, with the caption "All Eyes on Jenin." JVP's posts say the IDF is "escalating its assault on Jenin" and "using the same tactics it used in Gaza." The group writes that over 70 Palestinians have been killed in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Tubas within a month, urging the public to hold the American and Israeli governments accountable and to "put an end to their complicity and war crimes. Stop Arming Israel."

Wear The Peace, a U.S. based, Palestinian-owned clothing brand , shared a similar message on Instagram alongside an image reading "All Eyes on The West Bank." In their post, the brand says, "The occupation is upping its ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in the West Bank as it deploys tanks and announces that the 40,000 Palestinians they've forcibly displaced in the last month will not be able to return to their homes."

Jonathan Cook, a British writer formerly based in Nazareth, who works for UAE-based The National and Middle East Eye, posted on X about the "little noise" regarding the escalating violence in the West Bank. Yanis Varoufakis, a left-wing Greek economist and politician, wrote on X that there is "a real and present danger that these [refugee] camps will be erased" and called the IDF operation a "genocide" which "must be stopped. By us all. Now!"