The Guardian view on Israel and the West Bank: allies must protect Palestinian lives and livelihoods | Editorial

What Happened

The Gaza Health Ministry reported that Israeli forces have killed over 1,000 Palestinians since October, including 265 children. Concurrently, a report from the International Crisis Group details the economic destabilization of the West Bank, noting that real GDP shrank from $17.8bn to $13.7bn in 2024, with approximately 300,000 Palestinians losing employment. Former Israeli officials, including Ehud Olmert, have publicly accused the current government of facilitating settler violence and systemic campaigns against Palestinian communities, while Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has advocated for policies aimed at economic strangulation to prevent Palestinian statehood.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The systematic economic contraction and the reported increase in settler violence in the West Bank threaten the viability of a future Palestinian state. The withholding of customs revenues and the restriction of work permits have crippled the Palestinian Authority's ability to function, creating a humanitarian and political crisis that risks further regional instability.

Watch For

Monitor potential shifts in UK policy regarding trade with illegal settlements, as well as the status of the banking relationship between the Palestinian Authority and Israeli financial institutions, which remains under threat of termination.