Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned settler leaders against harming Israel and its interests at the international level, in light of Israeli government reports of a possible explosion of the situation in the West Bank.
This came during a security meeting with the War Administration Council, the heads of settlements in the West Bank, and the leadership of the Center Brigade.
Netanyahu said during the security meeting that among the goals of the meeting was confronting what he described as terrorism in the West Bank, and preventing it from turning into a second front.
He added that the meeting aims to prevent escalation and turn the West Bank into a second front, noting that the matter is related to “extremist groups of settlers who are causing great harm to Israel abroad.”
Fighting on 3 fronts
For his part, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid, yesterday, Wednesday, called on Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to exercise “restraint” in the West Bank, warning against Tel Aviv waging a war on three fronts, in reference to the ongoing war in Gaza and the confrontations on the Lebanese border.
Lapid said in statements to Israeli Channel 12 that part of the problem is the fear of riots breaking out in the West Bank, explaining that the reason for these fears is the irresponsibility of extremist settlers who are trying to set fire to the area.
These statements come in light of increasing concern from the leaders of the security services in Israel about the escalation of security concerns in the West Bank, where the situation is “on the verge of explosion.”
Various parts of the West Bank and Jerusalem witness daily raids and incursions into villages and towns by the Israeli occupation army, accompanied by confrontations, arrests, and the firing of live bullets.
American officials had called for calming the situation in the West Bank, curbing settler attacks on Palestinians, and strengthening the Palestinian Authority.
Barbara Leaf, US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, confirmed in a hearing of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives that the US administration urged Israel to respect the rule of law and control settler violence.
