In the shadow of the war in Gaza, the ceasefire and exchanges between Israel and terrorist-stamped Hamas, the violence from Israeli settlers continues to escalate in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israel's military is expected to operate in the area for at least another year, and the over 40,000 people who have been displaced from refugee camps will not be allowed to return, announced Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz last weekend.
On the same day, Israeli tanks, for the first time in over 20 years, entered the Jenin refugee camp.
Ambulance Shot
For aid workers on the West Bank, the escalation poses life-threatening challenges. This is stated by Ulrika Modéer, Secretary General of the Swedish Red Cross, who has recently seen the consequences of the increased violence with her own eyes.
In many ways, the devastation resembles what we have seen in parts of Gaza during the war there, says Ulrika Modéer.
The approximately 900 roadblocks set up by Israel further complicate the work for healthcare providers, she emphasizes. On the West Bank, she met, among others, Yasser from the Palestinian Red Crescent who was shot in the head but survived. He and his colleagues' ambulance had 18 bullet holes.
The healthcare providers, who were supposed to assist the wounded in the ambulance, were forced to wait for six hours before they, in turn, could be picked up by colleagues who came with another ambulance, Ulrika Modéer reports.
Using Protective Equipment
Since Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Israel's military and settlers have killed around 1,000 Palestinians on the West Bank, according to local health authorities, who do not distinguish between civilian and combatant Palestinians.
Over 180 of those killed are reported to be children, according to CNN.
Ulrika Modéer heard from her colleagues about a highly pregnant woman and her husband who were shot in Tulkarem in the northeastern parts of the West Bank in early February. Ambulances were sent immediately – but stopped by several roadblocks, she reports.
This woman and her unborn child died before they even reached the hospital. When we were there, her husband was still being treated for severe injuries.
It's not just civilians who are affected by the deadly violence, but also aid workers and volunteers, emphasizes Ulrika Modéer.
They carry out their mission with great risk and now have, for example, protective equipment, i.e., bulletproof vests and helmets. This is something we historically have not seen.
Named after its location west of the Jordan River. Has an area of 5,860 square kilometers – equivalent to approximately three Lake Vättern. The West Bank is thus 16 times larger than the Gaza Strip.
Approximately 3 million Palestinians live on the West Bank, but also several hundred thousand Israeli settlers.
The 1990s Oslo Accords divide the West Bank into three areas: A, B, and C. In A and B, which together account for approximately 40 percent of the area, the Palestinians have some autonomy. In C, Israel has control. According to the Oslo Accords, the Palestinians were supposed to gradually gain more power and control, even in area C. But that has not happened, and Israel has instead expanded its domains, built new settlements, roads, and barriers.
Israel's grip on the West Bank began with the occupation of the area during the Six-Day War in 1967. Since then, it has been under military occupation, awaiting a final peace agreement. But there are also strong right-wing forces in Israel who believe that the country has a right to large parts of or the entire West Bank.
The Palestinian self-government on the West Bank is led by the secular party Fatah.
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement has been present on the West Bank since Israel occupied the area in 1967.
There, thousands of employees and volunteers work to provide ambulance care, healthcare, protection, and emergency assistance to the population. They are responsible, for example, for blood supply, emergency care, and ordinary healthcare needs, such as childbirth, throughout the West Bank.
The increased settler violence against civilians and Israel's military presence have significantly complicated the work of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, according to Ulrika Modéer, Secretary General of the Swedish Red Cross.
We emphasize the importance of respecting international humanitarian law, that civilians should receive the assistance they are entitled to, she says.
Source: Swedish Red Cross
