The Guardian view on Israel and the West Bank: allies must protect Palestinian lives and livelihoods
Rocketing violence and an economic chokehold have been overshadowed by conflict elsewhere, but the UK and others must stop looking away
TL;DR
- A Unicef spokesman called the Gaza "ceasefire" a "cruel and deadly illusion", with over 1,000 Palestinians, including 265 children, killed since its October declaration.
- Escalating violence in the occupied West Bank, including accusations of "ethnic cleansing" and "crimes against humanity", has been overshadowed by the war on Iran.
- Israel's economic policies are dismantling the conditions necessary for a Palestinian state, with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich aiming for "economic strangulation".
- The Palestinian economy has seen real GDP shrink significantly since October 7, 2023, with hundreds of thousands losing jobs.
- Restrictions on movement, withholding of customs revenues, and threats to banking relationships have crippled the Palestinian Authority and its economy.
- Israeli exporters are reportedly hiding the origin of produce from occupied Palestine for tax breaks, and charities are donating to illegal settlements.
- The UK and other allies are failing to take substantive action, such as sanctions against violent settlers or a ban on trade with illegal settlements.