Israel: Before The War
Support for Hamas soars in West Bank amid increase in violence
Settler violence in the West Bank is increasing in tandem with the war in Gaza. Yet before the latest war broke out between Israel and Hamas, 2023 had been the deadliest year for the occupied West Bank in 15 years. This recent ABC report investigates the escalating tensions of the past 12 months that form the backdrop to the current war.
Before the war started, Israel's focus had been not on Gaza but on the occupied West Bank. Despite international concern, there is popular political support in Israel to settle the West Bank. "You can't annex what is yours" says Boaz Bismuth, a member of the Knesset. The settler movement is fueled by the Israeli right-wing, however there are Israeli peace groups who oppose the occupation of the West Bank. Josh Drill, an American Jew who moved to the West Bank to serve in the IDF, became disillusioned with the military. He now protests against the annexation of the West Bank: "we say to Ben Gvir who lives here, we're not going to allow him to annex the West Bank and enact these horrible policies."
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