Tensions escalate in the West Bank as Jewish extremists clash with Palestinians, following the cancellation of sanctions aimed at violent settler groups.
Trump's Revocation of Sanctions Raises Tensions in West Bank
Trump's Revocation of Sanctions Raises Tensions in West Bank
President Trump's recent removal of Biden-era sanctions against Israeli settlers sparks immediate unrest in Palestinian territories.
In a significant geopolitical shift, President Trump has rescinded sanctions that had been imposed by the Biden administration on various Israeli individuals and far-right settler factions implicated in acts of aggression towards Palestinians and the appropriation of Palestinian land. This decision, made shortly after Trump's inauguration on Monday, coincided with escalating violence as Jewish extremists conducted attacks in Palestinian villages within the Israeli-occupied West Bank, resulting in vehicle and property destruction.
The Israeli military reported on Tuesday the initiation of a counterterrorism operation in Jenin, a city noted for its militant presence in northern West Bank. The rescinded sanctions, part of a broader series of executive orders signed by Trump upon taking office, prompted condemnation from Palestinian officials, who argued that it would likely exacerbate the existing climate of violence in the region.
Right-wing members of Israel’s government and leaders within the Jewish settlement movement had long sought the abolition of these sanctions, which were enacted under an executive order by then-President Biden nearly a year earlier. Some prominent figures in the settler community have cultivated strong relationships with Trump and his associates, including Mike Huckabee, who has been nominated as the next ambassador to Jerusalem.
The lifting of the sanctions follows violent protests from extremist settlers opposing the cease-fire established in Gaza, which began on Sunday and marked a rare moment of respite after 15 months of intense conflict ignited by the Hamas-led assault on October 7, 2023. The cease-fire is structured to allow for the exchange of 33 hostages held in Gaza for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, with hopes for a more permanent resolution yet to be delineated.
