Mapping of how Israeli land grubs reconstruct the occupied West Bank | Israeli-Palestinian conflict news

While global attention remains fixed in Israel’s war with Gaza, Israel is rapidly redrawing maps of the occupied West Bank.

On January 21, just two days after the ceasefire took effect in Gaza, Israeli forces were attacked by the West Bank, which was occupied, especially in the northern regions. Israeli bulldozers are destroying entire residential areas and forcibly expelling at least 40,000 people from their homes.

For the first time since the second Intifada, Israeli forces are reintroducing tank invasions and attacks into the West Bank, which are part of a systematic Israeli strategy that will change the geography of the West Bank, paving the way for full annexation.

The report, produced by Sanad, the Al Jazeera fact-checking agency, reveals how this is happening based on UN data, satellite images and maps.

The occupied West Bank

The West Bank, known as the Arabic Al Dafa, is located west of the Jordan River and acquires its name from it.

Along with occupied East Jerusalem, it covers an area of ​​5,655 square kilometers (2,183 square miles) and is about 15 times the size of Gaza or roughly the same size as Delaware.

Since 1967, Israel has taken military occupying the West Bank, severely restricting all aspects of life, following checkpoints, arbitrary arrests, household dismantling, land attacks, widening reconciliation and frequent attacks by Palestinians.

Around 3.3 million Palestinians live on the West Bank. It is divided into 11 governors, with Hebron, or the Arabic Al Khalil, the most populous of around 842,000 residents. Jerusalem is 500,000, Nablus is 440,000, with Ramallah and Elbile at 377,000, and Jenin at 360,000.

Approximately 700,000 Israelis live in illegal settlements on Palestinian land.

Escalates attacks by October 7th

Fatal attacks on the Palestinians in the occupied West Bank have been going on for years.

Since the systematic documents were launched in 2008, UN data shows that at least 1,896 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers.

By October 6, 2023 – Hours before the AL-AQSA Flood Operation – 2023 deaths have already risen to 198, surpassing the 2022 total of 154, making it the deadliest year it has recorded at the time.

Since October 7, 2023, the number of attacks has skyrocketed.

Over 900 Palestinians have been killed on the occupied West Bank for the past 17 months. More than half of them came from Jenin and Talcarem.

Amnesty International described the violence as “brutal,” citing illegal killings, the unbalanced use of deadly force and the intentional refusal of medical care to those injured.

Why is the northwest bank being targeted?

Israel’s continued military invasion is called “Operation of the Iron Wall,” and is primarily targeting the governors of Jenin and the northern part of Talcarem.

These governors have fewer Israeli settlements than other parts of the West Bank, and have long been the centre of Palestinian resistance and a factor that has historically hindered annexation. In response, Israel aims to carry out systematic raids and mass demolitions in these regions to curb resistance and establish full control.

Refugee camps in particular are highly targeted. Since October 2023, the second largest Talcarem refugee camp on the West Bank witnessed the destruction of 205 structures, including homes, commercial buildings and agricultural infrastructure, followed by 174 structures at Nur Shams Camp and 144 structures at Jenin Camp. The peak of Jenin occurred in August 2024, destroying 37 structures in a month.

According to Peace Now, Israeli non-governmental organizations (NGOs) established a record 48 new settlement front post base in the West Bank in 2024.

Even before the war, the expansion of reconciliation was accelerating. In 2023, 31 new front posts were set up, with 21 months later, 21 months later, by October 7th.

Settler violence: the unofficial weapon of displacement

Settlers attacks occur daily on the West Bank, particularly in rural areas near the post base before the settlement. Settlers cut off the path to Palestinian communities and block access to essential services and livelihoods. In some cases, they destroy water sources and block resources important to Palestinian herder communities.

Testimony from Kilbet Zanutah in Southwest Kishi Village explains that homes and water sources have been destroyed, causing residents to flee. At Nablus, eight families (51 people) were forced to evacuate at muzzle.

A report by Israeli human rights group Yeshdin, which analyzed 1,664 police investigations of settler violence against Palestinians between 2005 and September 2023, found:

94% of cases were closed without charges. Only 3% led to convictions. The investigation was closed as at least 80% of cases were allegedly unable to identify suspects or gather sufficient evidence.

The study highlighted a deep distrust of Israeli law enforcement among Palestinians, with 58% of Palestinian victims choosing not to report the crime to police in 2023. Another Israeli human rights group, B’tselem, describes settler violence as an “informal Israeli tool” to expel Palestinians, and lack of accountability contributes to a culture of immunity.

Illegal attacks on Palestine lands

A June 2024 report by Israeli human rights group Hamoked showed that since October 2023, Israeli human rights group has been moving towards a full annexation of the West Bank.

This initiative is led by Finance Minister Bezarel Smotlich.

Sumotrich, a settler who lives on Palestinian lands outside of the illegal settlement of Kedmin, also leads a regime of settlements, a division within the Israeli Ministry of Defense, and is responsible for overseeing the establishment and expansion of Israeli settlements.

In 2024, 24,700 dunhams (6,100 acres or 2,470 hectares) were classified as “state land” by Israeli authorities, surpassing the 23,000 dunhams annexed between 2000 and 2023.

The transfer of Smotrich’s planning and demolition authority accelerated the forced displacement of the Palestinians. His administration will work with settlers to grab land, destroy Palestinian homes, recognize illegal forward post bases, and further establish settlement management.

Satellite image analysis on the northwest coast

Analysis of satellite imagery via talcarem and Jenin since March 12 reveals extensive destruction and bulldozing by Israeli forces.

A 12.5km (7.8 miles) road was destroyed at Tulkarem and Nur Shams Camp. The 17.5km (10.9 miles) road network has been demolished at Jenin Camp. It causes great damage to the building across all three camps.

Since October 7, 2023, bulldozing in at least 523 buildings has housed a large number of families and has forced nearly 3,000 people, including:

Tulkarem Camp: 1,070 people have been evacuated after the 205 building was demolished. Nur Shams Camp: 965 people were evacuated following the destruction of the structure of 174. Jenin Camp: 960 people have been evacuated after 144 structures were demolished.

According to the United Nations Relief Administration (UNRWA), evacuations have doubled in recent months, and the latest military operation has caused the biggest wave in the West Bank since 1967, forcing more than 40,000 people to flee their homes.

These figures illustrate strategies for dismantling Palestinian communities as their presence in the West Bank poses a demographic challenge to Israel.

New images and reports highlight the scale of the devastation of Jenin, Talcarem and Nursham. The entire neighborhood has been reduced to tile rubs, forcing thousands to escape, and the structure of Palestinian society is under systematic assault.

Unique patterns were identified in Jenin, but this was not observed in Talcarem and its camps. The Israeli military has built 14 dirt barriers surrounding the camp, with military vehicles located near some of these barriers.

Furthermore, since October 2023, Israeli forces have imposed serious travel restrictions on Palestinians, with 793 checkpoints by November 2024, with 60% of which in Hebron, Nabras and Ramallah.

Opening calls for mergers and displacements

Despite the rapid expansion of settlements, the population numbers are now roughly the same as Israel is now at Palestinian birth rates in the West Bank, higher than the Gaza Strip and Israel live in Israel and the occupied West Bank.

To counter this, Israeli policy will increasingly focus on reducing the presence of Palestine in strategically sensitive regions, framing displacements as both a security need and a “humanitarian” solution.

This strategy is evident in a statement by Israeli officials. In March 2025, Israeli Defense Minister Yobkatz defended the illegal settlement in the occupied West Bank as “essential to protect Israeli cities,” while media figures like Gideon Dokov labeled all Palestine in Palestine as “the only human solution” and labeled the Palestinians as “murderous countries.”

The “Life for Battle” campaign repeated this message with the slogan “There is no future for Palestinians” and encouraged what they e-mutually called “voluntary immigration.”

Meanwhile, Mare Masri, a professor of geopolitics at Hebrew University at Jerusalem University, said on social media platform X that the annexation of the West Bank was “the biggest Zionist achievement since 1967,” and is calling it a historic opportunity not to overlook.

In contrast, a 2025-2026 policy paper published by the Israeli National Security Institute (INSS) warned that unilateral annexation would deepen Israel’s global isolation, pushing Jews into the reality of one state that takes risks to contradictory corezionist ideologies.