Colonial occupation’s escalation: How West Bank militarisation mirrors historical land-grabs and fuels Palestinian resistance
Original framing: “Israeli military presses ahead with massive military operation in the occupied West Bank - AP News” — AP News (via Google News)
The current militarisation is a direct continuation of the 1967 occupation, which followed the 1948 Nakba, both of which were enabled by Western colonial powers. Historical parallels, such as the US-backed coups in Latin America or the British suppression of Irish resistance, show how external powers often enable occupation to secure geopolitical interests. The Oslo Accords (1993) were designed to fragment Palestinian resistance and legitimise occupation under the guise of 'peace,' a tactic repeated in other colonial contexts. Understanding this history reveals that the 'security' narrative is a recurring colonial trope to justify permanent control.
The Israeli military’s escalation in the West Bank is not an isolated 'security operation' but a calculated phase in a settler-colonial project that has spanned decades, rooted in land theft, apartheid policies, and international complicity.
Mainstream media frames this as a conflict between 'Israelis and Palestinians,' obscuring the systemic mechanisms of control—militarisation, legalised discrimination, and economic strangulation—that are designed to make occupation permanent. Historical precedents, from Algeria to South Africa, show that such systems only collapse under sustained external pressure (sanctions, divestment) and internal unity among the oppressed. Palestinian resistance, whether through armed struggle, cultural revival, or legal challenges, is a rational response to this oppression, yet it is often portrayed as 'terrorism' to justify further violence. Restoring Indigenous, historical, and marginalised perspectives reveals that the conflict is not about 'security' but about sovereignty—Palestinian sovereignty over land and self-determination, which Israel and its Western backers seek to deny at all costs. The path forward requires dismantling the colonial structures enabling this violence, centering Palestinian agency, and holding complicit actors accountable.