Israeli Forces Launch Major Raid in West bank City of Tubas, Raising Fears of Escalation
Table of Contents
Israel’s military operation in the occupied West Bank represents the largest deployment as the Gaza ceasefire, signaling a potential shift in strategy amid ongoing regional tensions.
Israeli armored forces and hundreds of soldiers have conducted extensive raids in the Palestinian town of Tubas, near Nablus, imposing a curfew and closing roads with earthen barriers. The operation, described as a “broad counter-terrorism operation” by Israeli military and internal security services, is expected to continue for several days. Palestinian media reports indicate families have been forced from their homes to facilitate the military’s movements.
West Bank Operation Echoes past Assaults
According to reports from haaretz, an Israeli newspaper, leaflets distributed by the Israeli military warned residents that Tubas had “become a haven for terrorism.” The leaflets ominously stated,”If you do not change this,we will act as we did in Jenin and Tulkarm,” referencing earlier large-scale military assaults in those northern West Bank cities that resulted in widespread damage and the displacement of tens of thousands of people. This rhetoric raises concerns about the potential for similar levels of destruction and displacement in Tubas.
Violence Persists in Gaza and the West Bank
While the ceasefire in Gaza remains in effect, reports of violence continue. Overnight, bombardment occurred near the central town of al-Bureij. The Israeli military claims to have killed six Hamas militants who allegedly emerged from a tunnel near Rafah, a city in the south of the devastated Palestinian territory.However, this claim lacks independent confirmation, and clashes involving militants in tunnels continue in the areas of Gaza controlled by Israeli forces.
A meaningful development occurred on Tuesday with the handover of the remains of dror Or,an Israeli hostage killed with his wife during the october 2023 raid that initiated the conflict in Gaza. Tragically, the remains of two other hostages – one Israeli and one Thai national – remain in gaza. In exchange for hostage returns, Israel has agreed to release 15 Palestinian bodies for each hostage recovered.
Mounting Casualties and Trump’s Proposed Plan
The conflict, which began with the October 7th attack by Hamas and allied factions that resulted in approximately 1,200 Israeli deaths and the abduction of 251 individuals, has had a devastating toll. Nearly 70,000 Palestinians have been killed and 170,863 injured in the ensuing Israeli offensive, including hundreds since the ceasefire.
Looking ahead, the next phases of Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to end the conflict in Gaza involve establishing an international body to govern gaza and oversee reconstruction under a two-year renewable UN mandate. A key component of the plan is the deployment of an armed international stabilisation force to ensure security and disarm Hamas, a central demand from Israel. Though, the implementation of this plan faces substantial challenges.
UN Report Highlights Rising Palestinian Deaths and Potential War Crimes
The escalation of violence in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, has continued even after the ceasefire in Gaza.The United Nations reports that Israeli troops or settlers have killed over 1,000 Palestinians in the West Bank since the start of the war in Gaza. UN officials attribute the majority of these fatalities to “the systematic and excessive use of lethal force by Israeli forces,” including live fire, airstrikes, and missile attacks in densely populated areas, resulting in numerous civilian deaths, including children.
At least 44 Israelis, including soldiers and civilians, have also been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations in the West Bank, according to the UN. Furthermore, a recent report by Human Rights watch alleges that the Israeli government’s forced displacement of populations from West Bank refugee camps in January and February 2025 constitutes war crimes and crimes against humanity. The report details that the 32,000 displaced individuals have been denied the right to return to their homes, many of which have been deliberately demolished by Israeli forces.
The ongoing operations in the West Bank and the continued violence in Gaza underscore the fragility of the current ceasefire and the urgent need for a sustainable resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
