The strategy for resistance work 

A year has passed since the escalation of Palestinian resistance in the West Bank, from the launch of the Lions’ Den, the start of the resistance operations in the north of the occupied territory, and the transfer of resistance work to Nablus. The city is the largest in the area and the most densely populated. It has an important, historical role in West Bank resistance work, in both the First Intifada (1987-1993) and Al-Aqsa Intifada (2000-2005). That is why Nablus is known as Jabal Al-Nar (Mountain of Fire).

Now the circle of fire is expanding in the West Bank, with Jericho and Tulkarm joining the revolution, with rapid responses to the occupation state’s crimes, not least in Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem. Armed resistance has also escalated through operations against Israeli soldiers and settlers.

This does not exclude the extension of the revolution to the centre of the West Bank, especially Ramallah and Hebron, despite the violations and assaults that the occupation security forces carry out daily, with mass arrests, raids and home demolitions. There is nothing left that the occupation has not done, and its recent talk about large-scale operations in the West Bank is an expression of its helplessness in the face of the ongoing resistance operations.

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The 242 such operations in the past week alone included nine attempts to detonate explosive devices in vehicles belonging to the occupation forces. The operations led to two Israeli soldiers being killed and five being wounded. Two Palestinians were martyred.

The price to pay for these acts of resistance is less for the Palestinians and more painful for the occupation state. Its ranks are being hit, with personnel and security losses as, for example, in the recent Hamesh settlement operation and the Jordan Valley and Hawara operations before it.

The resistance fighters are convinced that taking the initiative to act against the illegal settlements and the occupation army’s patrols, deployment locations and bases is a qualitative development in resistance work which confuses the occupation state. This also hinders its raids in Palestinian cities. Moreover, it helps to protect those who carry out the operations from being held to account by the occupation; provides a large popular base for resistance work; and changes the focus from clashes within the cities to attacks on the occupation state’s sites and mechanisms. This all hinders the work of the occupation army and its security services.

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Day after day, resistance action in the West Bank is developing and expanding. The words of Israeli researcher Michael Milstein in a recent article confirm to us that Hamas has set a clear goal and the resistance is following a clear and focused strategy to escalate action in the West Bank. The occupied territory remains at the forefront of current events, and stands solidly behind resistance action and incitement, so the plan is to continue to escalate activities there and form a broad, popular supportive environment and base, as was seen with the Hamas victory in the Birzeit and An-Najah university student elections. This was an expression of popular support for the resistance in the West Bank to confront the occupation and the security coordination policy adopted by the Palestinian Authority.

This article first appeared in Arabic in the Palestinian Information Centre on 3 June 2023

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.