Monitoring Desk
RAMALLAH: A large number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in 2022 has sparked fears and concern among Palestine watchers who believe that the Israeli action will lead to more violence in the region.
According to the Palestinian sources, 156 Palestinians have been killed in the 11 months of 2022 in the West Bank alone with most of the victims not involved in the armed clashes. They were not even involved in stone-throwing incidents, Palestinian sources told Arab News. The sources said the violence by the Israeli forces would destabilize the region. Israeli armed forces have made it easier to open fire when they feel threatened, and they opt for shooting to kill even when they are in a position to injure the attacker from a distance.
Fear of more violence
Palestinians see a deep link between the recent appointment of Itamar Ben-Gvir as Israel’s security minister, also in-charge of the border police in the West Bank, and the sharp rise in killings. The Palestinians are deeply worried at his appointment. Most Palestinians believe international criticism is unlikely to deter or even limit Israel’s anti-Palestinian violence though the UN, US, EU, and Arab League have expressed their anger over Israel’s brutal use of force.
Most killings in 16 years
A spokesman for the EU in Jerusalem, Shadi Othman told Arab News that the Palestinian territories have reported killings not seen in 16 years (since 2006). He was of the view that the European bloc’s concerns stem from the lack of accountability over the deaths of Palestinians at the hands of Israeli military.
A Fatah leader who had been a witness to the first and 2nd intifadas told Arab News that the Israeli army’s trend to “kill Palestinians rather than arrest them” was the main reason for sharp rise in death rate. He said that most of the Palestinians killed could have been arrested as he spoke on condition of anonymity. He said the thing that worries him the most is that the Palestinians are killed for the pettiest reasons and without justification in most cases. He said one feels that the Israeli soldiers are out on a hunting spree to kill Palestinians.
Palestinian security forces former spokesman, Maj. Gen. Adnan Al-Damiri (retired) said that the Israeli ideological belief that killing non-Jews is not considered as murder has led to the rise in the number of deaths of Palestinians. He also accused the Israeli media of creating fear among Israelis that Palestinians want to kill them. He further said that the three million people residing in the West Bank fear that any of them could be the next victim. He could be a victim either at the hands of the Israeli settlers, army, or police, Al-Damiri said further.
Amer Hamdan, a Human rights activist from Nablus told Arab News that plying on the Nablus-Ramallah road is filled with danger for Palestinians as settlers and Israeli soldiers are heavily deployed along the route.
Hamdan was not satisfied with the Palestinian Authority’s reaction to the Palestinians’ killings which he believed was limited to condemnation, denunciation, and expressing pain. He was of the view that the duty of Palestinian leadership is not to assume the role of a social activist or journalist. He said rather it must go beyond analyzing or condemning and take measures to protect the citizens.
it is to mention here that the Palestinian Authority and the 35,000 personnel deployed in the West Bank are under severe criticism over their apparent inability to protect the Palestinians. Israeli military and security leaders even are fearing a further deterioration in the West Bank security situation in the coming weeks.
