Israel’s Military Base Construction in the West Bank Raises Controversy

For the first time since the Oslo peace accords were signed in the mid-1990s, Israel is constructing a military base in a part of the West Bank that was intended to be under Palestinian Authority control. This decision is drawing criticism from various quarters.

The Israeli military claims the base is necessary to prevent Jenin, historically a Palestinian militant stronghold, from reverting to its past status. Jenin is a city in the occupied West Bank that has been under Israeli military oversight since January of last year. The military operation in January 2025 led to the displacement of over 10,000 Palestinians, marking the largest such displacement since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

Critics argue that this move might also support the expansion of Israeli settlements near densely populated Palestinian regions in the West Bank. The expansion of settlements, considered illegal by most of the international community, has been accelerating.

They’re blowing up the Oslo accords, said Kamal Abu al-Rub, the Palestinian Authority governor of Jenin. They’re acting as if there are no agreements between us.

The base is being constructed on land that has been confiscated from an area near the Jenin camp. This action follows attempts by the Palestinian Authority to control militant factions in Jenin, including groups allied with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. These groups have not only targeted Israelis but have also challenged the Palestinian Authority’s authority.