As images of Israeli protests fill the screens of liberal media trying to create the illusion of an “Israeli left,” it’s important to remember that Palestinian rights and liberation aren’t talking points for these Israeli protesters. These demonstrations are focused solely on the Israeli citizens held in the Gaza Strip under the aerial bombardment of US-made munitions. Many of the protesters actually advocate for advancing the genocide in Gaza once Israelis are removed from the area. The massive display of Israeli flags makes it clear that the protest is, first and foremost, nationalist and, therefore, a perpetuation of zionism.

The focus on these protests obscures not only the way that Israeli leftists play a critical role in disrupting critical discussion of Palestinian liberation, but also draws attention away from the realities unfolding across Historic Palestine.

Over the past two days, the Israeli forces have escalated their aggression across the West Bank and Gaza Strip, resulting in at least 140 killings and 321 injuries. Across the West Bank alone over the last seven days, the Israelis forced out 89 military operations, established 18 military checkpoints, and set up 36 temporary checkpoints. Israeli forces have carried out 2 airstrikes, 18 instances of live ammunition used against the Palestinian population, 26 road closures, 12 closures of entrances and crossings, and 23 settler attacks. Additionally, Israeli forces made 46 random abductions and inflicted significant damage on personal property through invasions and destruction.

Some of the hardest hit areas have been in the Jenin Governorate and its refugee camps. The mayor of Jenin, Nidal al-Obaidi, said the ongoing Israeli military operation as an "earthquake," estimating the destruction to have caused around 500 million shekels ($135.2 million) in damages. Israel’s strategy is always collective punishment because that is a critical element in articulating a program of indigenous erasure. As such, Israel’s destruction campaign has targeted communal infrastructure: water and communication lines, electricity transformers, and streets and homes. The operation, which so far has lasted for five consecutive days, has paralyzed public and economic life, particularly in the eastern neighborhood and the refugee camp, where residents are facing severe shortages of essential supplies due to the ongoing siege.

This is a tremendous loss for Jenin. Jenin governate — not even the city — has a small population is estimated at 353,000, including 11,700 residents in the Jenin Refugee Camp. Jenin's city district has a population of 57,052. Approximately 21,000 people, or about 6% of Jenin's population, are classified as food insecure. The poverty rate in Jenin Camp stands at 29.4%. Jenin, along with Hebron, has the highest unemployment rate in the West Bank, currently at 16.8%.

The Israeli military's operation in Jenin, supported by armored forces and air power, is part of the largest military offensive in the northern West Bank since 2002. The offensive — which has been conducted in collaboration with the Palestinian Authority — has caused the deaths of at least 26 Palestinians in Jenin. Across the region, the Israeli offensive has resulted in the documented deaths of over 40,600 Palestinians since October 7 of the previous year, mostly women and children. The death toll at this point is much, much higher —  likely closer to 200,000.

A Recap of violence

As you can see, all the data points across the last 5-days are all trending upwards. This data is aggregated mostly from Palestinian resources, namely the Negotiations Affairs Department. It represents but a small cross-section of the violence intentionally enacted by Israel's program of indigenous erasure. It doesn't account for every sexual harassment or assault at Israel's checkpoints, the looting that happens during raids, or every psychological threat the Israeli state carries out, whether that be direct phone calls to individuals and their families or Israeli MKs cheering on genocide on live tv, radio, and print.

Sept 1, 2024

Jerusalem:

• At 10:00 AM, the Israeli military set up a temporary checkpoint at the entrance to Al-Eizariya to search vehicles and check the identities of citizens until 12:00 PM.
• At 11:20 AM, Israeli forces invaded the town of Kafr Aqab and conducted patrols.

Ramallah:

• Israeli forces established several temporary checkpoints throughout the day, including at the entrance to Birzeit, Yabroud village, Kafr Malek, Turmus Aya, Sinjil, and Burqa. The checkpoints were used to search vehicles and verify the identities of citizens.
• Israeli forces invaded multiple towns including Beit Rima, Ni’lin, Qarawat Bani Zeid, Kafr Ain, and Deir Abu Mashal. In Beit Rima, Israeli forces wounded a resident by firing live ammunition at them.
• Israeli forces arrested three citizens, including one who was abducted during a surprise checkpoint in Ain Sinya and another in Al-Mughair village.
• The Israeli military closed the entrance to Kafr Malek village and fired live ammunition, rubber-coated metal bullets, and tear gas during confrontations in Beit Rima, resulting in injuries.

Hebron:

• The Israeli military stormed several towns, including Hebron, Beit Ummar, Sa’ir, Khursa, Al-Shuyoukh, Beit Awa, Yatta, and Al-Majd. In Hebron, they raided a house, beat a citizen, and arrested four individuals, including a woman.
• Israeli forces killed two Palestinians near the entrances of settlements under the pretext of attempted bombing operations.
• Settlers attacked Palestinians in various areas, including Wadi Jahish and Zanuta village. They also bulldozed land in Khirbet al-Qat and stoned a bus in the vicinity of the Kermei Tzur settlement.

Nablus:

• Israeli forces invaded multiple locations across Nablus, including in eastern neighborhoods, Beit Furik, Beit Dajan, Beita, Odla, Burqa, Asira Al-Shamaliya, and Madama. Confrontations with Palestinians occurred in several locations, leading to injuries.
• Settlers assaulted citizens, fired randomly at shops, and attempted to seize land and resources in various locations.

Gaza Strip:

• A temporary humanitarian truce was in effect but expired, leading to renewed aggression by Israeli forces. The Gaza Strip remains divided, with continued artillery, tank, and aerial bombardment targeting residential buildings and service facilities across all governorates. The escalation resulted in 47 deaths and 94 injuries over the past 24 hours.

August 31, 2024

Jerusalem:

• At midnight, the Israeli military set up a checkpoint at the entrance to Al-Eizariya, where they inspected vehicles and verified citizens’ identities until 2:00 AM.

Ramallah:

• Israeli forces established multiple temporary checkpoints, particularly in Yabroud, Ain Sinya, and other areas. The Israeli military invaded several towns, including Yabroud, Al-Laban, Umm Safa, and Tarmasia, conducting patrols and engaging in confrontations with residents.
• During the invasion of Al-Mazraa, Israeli forces injured two children with live ammunition.
• In the evening, settlers entered Barqa, set fire to agricultural land, and stoned vehicles between Al-Mughir and Khirbet Abu Falah.

Hebron:

• The Israeli military stormed several areas, including Al-Samou, Sa'ir, Dura, Al-Fawwar camp, and Yatta. Two citizens, including a father and his son, were abducted in Hebron.
• Settlers continued their attacks, including stealing 300 sheep in Sa’ir and damaging residential caravans and water tanks.

Nablus:

• Israeli forces conducted multiple invasions in areas such as Beita, Ras al-Deir, Hawara, Barqa, and Qablan. Israeli forces engaged in clashes with local residents, leading to Palestinian injuries from live ammunition and tear gas.
• Settlers attacked agricultural land, fired randomly in the middle of towns, and attempted to seize natural resources in various areas.