Israel Builds Military Base in West Bank Amid Controversy

For the first time since signing the Oslo peace accords in the mid-1990s, Israel is constructing a military base in a region of the West Bank previously placed under the control of the Palestinian Authority by the accords. This move has sparked significant debate.

The Israeli military justifies the construction of the base as necessary to prevent Jenin, a city known for past Palestinian militant activity, from becoming a stronghold for militants once more. However, critics argue that this development might pave the way for further expansion of Israeli settlements near densely populated Palestinian areas. These settlements are expanding at a record pace despite broad international concern over their legality.

“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 built on confiscated land near the urban area known as Jenin camp. In January 2025, the Israeli military invaded this area, causing substantial displacements. More than 10,000 Palestinians fled their homes, marking the largest displacement in the West Bank since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. This military operation was a response to the Palestinian Authority’s unsuccessful attempts to control militant groups in Jenin. These groups, some affiliated with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, had been attacking Israelis and challenging the Authority’s governance.