TEHRAN – The Israeli regime is escalating its attacks in the West Bank amid growing calls to formally annex the occupied territory.
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) raided Tubas province in the northern West Bank again on Monday, imposing a total curfew just one day after withdrawing from a four-day raid that forced Palestinians into a strict blockade.
The occupation regime’s troops spread out into residential areas, raiding homes, converting some into military garrisons, and using bulldozers to tear up roads in the city. This effectively left large parts of the state in isolation, with all schools, universities and public sector operations announced to be suspended until further notice.
The new attacks erupted when residents had barely begun to assess the devastation left by the previous invasion, which caused widespread destruction, hundreds of injuries and the abduction of dozens of Palestinians. With the return of IOF, any hope of respite disappeared.
These escalations, including the near-execution of two men who surrendered, come as regime leaders publicly double down on their annexation goals.
Finance and Payments Policy Minister Bezalel Smotrich has insisted that the West Bank should be fully integrated under the Zionist regime and has repeatedly declared that the regime will expand its illegal control over the West Bank.
Over the past year and a half, he has shifted key parts of West Bank governance from military oversight to a so-called civilian government, a change seen by many as laying the groundwork for formal annexation.
Mr. Smotrich’s actions have changed the way the West Bank is run, making daily life extremely difficult for Palestinians. By shifting primary authority from the military to new self-controlled “civilian” bodies, it facilitated the expansion of illegal settlements and small settler outposts.
The changes reduce oversight, speed up the Zionist regime’s granting of land to settlers, and increase the risk that Palestinian homes will be denied permits or demolished. It also means that Palestinians have even less influence over the planning, roads and infrastructure of their areas.
Together, these measures have blurred the lines between occupied territory and Israeli rule, creating a “fact on the ground” that many see as preparing the area for formal annexation.
Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir issued a similar call, calling for the immediate annexation of the entire West Bank and calling for the dissolution of the Palestinian Authority.
Such statements are no longer frivolous rhetoric, and policy ambitions are increasingly being reflected in actions on the ground, including expanded land grabs, intensified raids, and more aggressive enforcement at military checkpoints that are suffocating the lives of indigenous peoples.
For the Palestinians, the combination of increased military pressure, including the use of drones, and explicit annexation intentions has created an environment of severe uncertainty. Daily life has been eroded by settler attacks carried out with impunity.
Hebrew media reported that Ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Israel Katz had decided to allow 10,000 more settlers to carry weapons. These weapons are used in settler crimes against Palestinian towns and villages.
Since Ben Gvir took office, the number of personal firearms permits for illegal settlers has increased by hundreds of thousands.
Human rights groups have warned that these actions amount to a systematic effort to divide the Palestinian community and cement irreversible Israeli rule. The government’s measures amount to collective punishment and are illegal under international law.
While residents of Tubas face an unlimited curfew and brace for further invasions, many see their situation as part of a larger pattern sweeping the West Bank.
The latest attack also reflects similar tactics used in past years, including in Jenin, Nablus, and al-Khalil (Hebron), and illustrates the occupation regime’s strategy of focusing on sustained, region-wide disruption rather than short-term, targeted operations.
In Tabs, videos were released of IOF abusing employees inside a restaurant, while disturbing images showed IOF converting the home of a Palestinian family into a makeshift detention and interrogation center.
In the face of such heinous acts, Palestinians have no choice but to enforce their international right to resist illegal occupation through armed resistance.