West Bank Tensions Escalate as Israeli Forces Order Bedouin Expulsion, Settlers Target Schools

RAMALLAH, West Bank — Israeli forces ordered the expulsion of 40 Bedouin residents from the Abu Najeh al-Kaabneh community east of Ramallah on Sunday, delivering a military directive to dismantle homes and vacate the area within 48 hours. The site was declared a "closed military zone," a move critics say facilitates settlement expansion by clearing Palestinian land.

The eviction notice is part of a broader pattern of displacement unfolding across the occupied territories. It follows the forced removal over the weekend of the last three families from the Shallal al-Auja community north of Jericho, effectively erasing a decades-old presence that once numbered 120 households.

Simultaneously, a surge in settler violence is disrupting daily life. In the northern Jordan Valley, settlers backed by Israeli soldiers blocked teachers from reaching the al-Maleh School, which serves children from vulnerable Bedouin communities. The incident occurred near a new illegal settlement outpost established just last week.

Further north, in the village of Faraata near Qalqilya, settlers from the illegal "Havat Gilad" outpost attacked a Palestinian home, pelting it with stones and unleashing a dog on the family inside. "We live in a constant state of insecurity," said homeowner Hijazi Yamin, noting it was the second such attack in a week. "I am afraid to leave my wife and children alone."

In occupied East Jerusalem, urban restriction policies continued to displace Palestinian residents. Yasser Maher Dana was forced to demolish his own 100-square-meter home in Jabal Mukaber to avoid crippling municipal fees. Authorities routinely cite a lack of building permits for such demolitions, though rights groups argue these permits are systematically denied to Palestinians.

Tensions also flared at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, where dozens of Israeli settlers under police protection performed a provocative "wedding blessing" ritual in the courtyards, violating longstanding status quo agreements.

Meanwhile, Israeli military raids swept across the West Bank on Sunday, resulting in at least four arrests and the deliberate destruction of street vendors' carts in Jenin. Movement restrictions tightened further, with the army closing key checkpoints and severing connections between northern and central West Bank cities. According to Palestinian officials, Israel now operates 916 military checkpoints and gates throughout the territory.

Background & Analysis: These developments occur against a backdrop of accelerated settlement expansion and heightened violence in the West Bank since the war in Gaza began. The targeting of schools—like al-Maleh—represents an escalation in tactics aimed at displacing Palestinian communities by undermining education, a cornerstone of community resilience. The forced self-demolition policy in East Jerusalem shifts both the financial burden and psychological toll of displacement onto residents, while the use of "closed military zone" declarations near Ramallah reflects a strategic effort to consolidate control over Area C, which comprises 60% of the West Bank under full Israeli military authority.

Voices from the Ground:

"This isn't just about homes—it's about erasing futures," says Layla Hassan, a human rights lawyer based in Ramallah. "When you blockade a school, you're not just harassing teachers; you're telling an entire generation their right to learn is conditional. The international community's silence is becoming complicity."

David Cohen, a retired history teacher from Jerusalem, offers a more measured perspective: "The situation is tragically complex. While security concerns are real, these blanket measures punish entire communities and fuel the very resentment they aim to quell. There has to be a better way to address legitimate needs without wholesale displacement."

Reacting sharply, Miriam Stein, a spokesperson for a settler advocacy group, stated: "These are illegal structures in strategic areas. The state is enforcing its laws—nothing more. The real issue is the Palestinian Authority's refusal to negotiate in good faith, which leaves us with no choice but to assert control over vital territory."

From Brussels, EU policy analyst Andreas Kostopoulos adds: "We are witnessing a rapid fragmentation of the West Bank into disconnected cantons. Each demolition, checkpoint, and outpost isn't an isolated event—it's a stitch in a fabric of permanent control that makes a viable Palestinian state geographically impossible."