West Bank Violence Surges as Israel Expands Settler Gun Access

34-year-old Ammar Hijazi was driving through the West Bank north of Ramallah when Israeli forces opened fire, killing him instantly. His death on Sunday marks another casualty in what has become a deadly pattern: as Israel wages war in Gaza, violence in the occupied West Bank is quietly but systematically escalating.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed Hijazi's death, while separately, Israeli military forces detained a child in the central West Bank village of Mukhmas. These incidents occurred on the same day that settlers assaulted a Palestinian family near Hebron, injuring a woman—attacks that Palestinian officials say are becoming increasingly brazen.

The Settler Gun Expansion

The timing of Hijazi's killing coincides with a significant policy shift that could reshape the security landscape of the West Bank. This week, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir approved gun licenses for Israelis in 18 additional settlements across the occupied territory.

This expansion of armed civilian presence comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right government pushes forward with new illegal outposts throughout the West Bank. Under international law, all Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory are considered illegal, yet the current administration has accelerated their growth at an unprecedented pace.

The gun license approvals represent more than just a security measure—they signal a fundamental shift in how Israel's government views the future of the territory. Each new armed settlement becomes a de facto permanent fixture, making any future territorial negotiations exponentially more complex.

A Two-Front Strategy

What's emerging is a coordinated two-front approach: while international attention focuses on Gaza's humanitarian crisis, Israel is simultaneously transforming facts on the ground in the West Bank. The strategy appears designed to capitalize on global distraction, using the Gaza conflict as cover for accelerated settlement expansion.

Palestinian officials report that settler attacks have increased by 300% since the Gaza war began in October 2023. These attacks, they say, often occur with military backing or at minimum, military indifference. Settlers have destroyed Palestinian property, uprooted olive trees, and displaced entire communities while Israeli forces provide protection or look the other way.

The pattern is consistent: settlers initiate confrontations, Palestinians resist or flee, and Israeli military forces intervene—usually to the settlers' advantage. This cycle creates a self-reinforcing dynamic where each incident justifies further military presence and, consequently, more settlement expansion.

The International Blind Spot

While the international community condemns settlement expansion in carefully worded statements, concrete action remains limited. The United States, Israel's primary ally, has criticized settlement growth but continues providing military aid. European Union officials express concern while maintaining trade relationships.

This diplomatic disconnect creates space for Israel's government to pursue its West Bank agenda with minimal consequences. The focus on Gaza's immediate humanitarian crisis, while necessary, inadvertently provides cover for longer-term territorial changes that may prove irreversible.

For Palestinians in the West Bank, the message is clear: international law and diplomatic protests offer little protection against the daily reality of expanding settlements, increasing military presence, and now, more armed civilians in their midst.

The Generational Impact

Perhaps most concerning is how this escalation affects Palestinian and Israeli youth. Palestinian children like the one detained in Mukhmas grow up seeing military raids as routine. Israeli settler children grow up in communities where carrying weapons and viewing Palestinians as threats becomes normalized.

This normalization of violence and separation creates psychological barriers that may outlast any future political settlement. Each generation becomes more entrenched in viewing the other as an existential threat rather than a potential neighbor.