The West Bank is on the verge of historic transformation

Israeli soldiers at the site of an attack by a Palestinian resistance outside Jerusalem (Reuters)

Aside from the modest performance of the resistance there so far, the West Bank remains one of the decisive arenas in determining the outcome of the war on Gaza after October 7, as no matter how great the performance of the resistance in the Gaza Strip is, the real breakthrough and achieving balance in the conflict remains dependent on the level of the West Bank’s involvement. Western in it; In addition to the rest of the squares.

This article sheds light on the reality of the new generation of resistance fighters in the West Bank, and looks at the prospects for the development of the situation led by it, especially since the level of disappointment surrounding the Gaza people and resistance has exceeded all imaginations.

Some are trying to evade this entitlement by counting the numbers of martyrs provided by the West Bank since October 7, as if to help Gaza need other numbers of martyrs in the West Bank, while the real question is the level of effectiveness of the resistance’s performance in the West Bank in confronting the occupation, as this is what it needs. Gaza and its battle, if one wants to call it the battle of all Palestinians.

In this situation, the new generation of resistance fighters in the West Bank stands out, making huge sacrifices and unparalleled courage, but it is a courage that lacks rationality, capabilities, effective training, and leadership. The absence of these elements has made the attrition in the ranks of the resistance in the West Bank very high, and the level of losses it inflicts on the occupation modest.

The events of October 7 resulted in hundreds of wanted persons in the West Bank, the majority of whom were between 18-25 years old, and the majority were under 20 years old. Many of them bought weapons with their own money, and some of them belong to organizations and receive partial or complete financial support from resistance factions abroad.

The majority of this new generation is non-ideological and has no prior political affiliations, as much as it believes in the ideology of resistance, and its organizational affiliation is only a means of obtaining weapons and resources. This is considered an important distinguishing feature that differs from the nature of the formation of resistance groups historically in Palestine. This does not negate the presence of resistors with different political and intellectual affiliations to the Palestinian factions and forces, but we are talking about the general characteristic of this generation.

This generation expresses its rejection of reality through resistance. It rejects everything that is happening, whether in its relationship with the Palestinian Authority, or in its relationship with the occupation, but it is a victim of the state of national emptying that spread across the West Bank after the division in 2007, and therefore its weak performance is the result of circumstances in which it was Its victim, and while the post-divisive stage, according to the perception of international and Israeli actors, is intended to produce a consumer generation far removed from its national values, it returns to its roots with remarkable aftershocks to confirm once again that this issue cannot be resolved with economic solutions.

In terms of boldness and courage, this generation cannot be outdone. To find a young man in his prime carrying a simple sharp tool, or a poorly manufactured weapon, and attacking a military barracks with a naked body, is the pinnacle of courage, but the level of influence is another matter.

It is a generation that lacks leadership and is self-motivated. It is true that it receives financial and military support - albeit below the required level - due to security complications, but on the ground it moves in an improvised manner. It is the generation of Tik Tok and social media. It is sometimes ironic to find one of these resistance fighters shooting live while broadcasting live on social media without appreciation or security awareness, which often makes him an easy prey for the occupation army and its intelligence and spy agencies, in complete contrast to the Gaza Strip resistance fighters who have high combat and security skills.

This indifferent behavior from a security standpoint has inflicted heavy human losses on the ranks of the young resistance fighters of this generation in the West Bank. But what is striking is that with every assassination carried out by the occupation forces, the number of those wanted increases rather than decreases. This has generated a collective state of young men and women immersion in the idea of ​​resistance and martyrdom. It made us confront a growing phenomenon that lacks only framing.

From a monetary standpoint, it can be said; This generation has transcended every decade of political division in Palestine, and was able to form a case of initiative to change reality even with the Palestinian Authority, and not just with the occupation, at a speed much greater than the ability of the factions and political forces, including the resistance factions, to overcome the situation and provide a context for serious work on the reality of the West Bank. The West is very complicated.

In this context, the generation gap, understanding of reality and the ability to take initiative emerge. To develop a flexible leadership style that suits the situation in the West Bank, and at the same time can overcome the contexts of the security situation that is unparalleled in the world in the West Bank. So far, it can be said objectively: Resolving the situation is still difficult for the resistance factions, and their journey is still long, although they are making strenuous efforts that have become noticeable and growing, especially after October 7.

The events after the 7th of October witnessed an unprecedented numerical immersion of this generation in the rush towards resistance. Some aspects of this immersion even affected the members of this generation of members of the security services of the Palestinian Authority. A number of operations were participated in or carried out by young members of the Palestinian security services. This is considered normal; Because it is the same generation that is no longer able to coexist with this stage, as its affiliations overlap with the same groups that include elements of the resistance factions in a unitary resistance context.

This new model is not favorable to interest groups in the West Bank and to many leaders in the Palestinian Authority. Because it establishes a new situation and a new thought, the first victim of which will be the existence of the Palestinian Authority in its current form.

The West Bank is currently in conflict with multiple tracks; A generational conflict between the old and the new, a conflict of trends between those who want the line of resistance and those who want to maintain the cohesion of the Palestinian Authority in its current form, even if it remains a form without content, and if the price of that is further immersion in coordination with the occupation.

A conflict of interests between a crushed majority that is no longer able to coexist with the prevailing economic pattern, including the majority of Palestinian Authority employees who today can be classified as disaffected, and a minority that has established economic interests whose existence is linked to the existence of the occupation and intertwined with it.

All of the above are facing a massive influx of the new, resistant generation of young people, which is described as an army without a head, a human influx without a leader that seeks to change reality, whether on the internal level or in the relationship with the occupation.

The stories and tales of this resistance generation provide a hearty meal of curse to a broad sector of the traditional Palestinian elite, which has become isolated from reality and must be replaced. A sixteen-year-old boy goes to carry out an act of resistance against a military point with a sharp object in an area exposed only to security forces; Because what he was able to save from his personal expenses allowed him to manage the cost of transportation to this point, and if he had been able to collect the equivalent of five dollars, he would have gone to another location.

A resistant young man carries out an attack after he managed to save $700, which enabled him to buy a firearm made in a local blacksmith workshop. As soon as he fires it, the machine suffers a technical malfunction. On the other hand, economic, political, and cultural elites struggle, either relying on financial gains and privileges they have obtained, and fighting until the last breath. To defend it, or marginalized revolutionary elites trying to regain their position in the reality of the West Bank, who are quickly captured by occupation prisons or internal marginalization.

Reference to the previous description does not negate the fact that many groups of these young men receive financial and military support from the resistance factions in various ways. It is noted that this support is growing significantly, especially after October 7, accompanied by attempts at technical support, which is sometimes reflected in the development of performance, as well as It does not diminish the exhausting effort involved in bringing money and weapons into the West Bank; Sensing the importance of the West Bank arena in resolving the conflict in this battle, the West Bank is nothing more than a large prison closed from all directions.

The analysis of the power of this generation to influence also stems from the fact that Palestinian society is a young society, as (22%) of Palestinian society are between the ages of 18-29 years. About (43.7%) are under 17 years of age.

This means that this generation is capable of forming a sudden revolutionary situation that changes the situation and the elites surrender to it if it is given the appropriate capabilities and senses the historical moment. This is one of the strengths that sparked revolutions and uprisings in the past, sometimes even without objective introductions.

Today, the West Bank, with its signs, stands on the verge of making a historical transformation and entering a situation completely different from the current context, but it is witnessing a fierce war to prevent this from happening.

It is necessary to re-read the entitlements required for the next stage from the point of view of this generation, and not the generations that are supposed to be given more time to prepare for their afterlife, and the aspirations of this generation must be dealt with with respect. Because if he has the appropriate tools and resources to face the challenges of this stage, he will make a change.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Al Jazeera.