Humanitarian and Political Crisis Deepens in West Bank

The West Bank is experiencing a severe humanitarian crisis characterized by the collapse of healthcare services and increasing displacement of Palestinians. A delegation from The Elders, including former Irish President Mary Robinson, recently visited the region and reported a process of aggressive Israeli annexation of Palestinian lands. Robinson stated that the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intends to make Palestine disappear physically, economically, culturally, and politically. During their visit, the delegation met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog. While Herzog emphasized the impact of the October 7, 2023 attacks, the delegation argued that those crimes do not justify Israel's disproportionate response, which they linked to over 70,000 deaths. The group also advocated for the release of Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti to open paths toward peace.

Simultaneously, the healthcare system in the West Bank is facing an economic collapse. Israel has withheld approximately 4 billion euros in taxes and tariffs that it collects on behalf of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) since 2019. This financial asphyxiation has forced the PNA to reduce teacher salaries and working hours, leaving some schools open only three days a week. According to a World Health Organization report, 63 percent of primary care centers in the West Bank are functioning only partially. Public hospitals are largely limited to life saving treatments due to shortages of staff, medication, and basic supplies like gloves. The PNA currently owes approximately 747 million euros to pharmaceutical companies and hospitals.

Military operations have further exacerbated the crisis. The Israeli army took and emptied the refugee camps of Nur Shams and Tulkarem in 2024, leading to the largest forced exodus of Palestinians in the territory since 1967. Approximately 40,000 people have been left homeless, with many residing in overcrowded family homes or accumulating debt to rent housing. In these abandoned camps, the Israeli military has demolished houses to create avenues for armored vehicles.