Israeli security officials have warned of the possibility of escalating settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank following the upcoming elections scheduled for next week, according to the Hebrew newspaper Haaretz.
The newspaper stated that Israeli security officials "fear that activists from Israel's far-right will seek to establish new settlement outposts and launch attacks on Palestinians, with the aim of preventing any future government from evacuating unauthorized settlements."
It added that "military sources view the coming weeks as a test of the Israeli authorities' ability to enforce the law in the West Bank."
Loss of control
The newspaper claimed that security officials spoke of "coordinated movements (by settlers in the West Bank) including seizing more land, establishing outposts, and launching attacks on Palestinians."
Haaretz quoted an Israeli security source familiar with the situation in the West Bank, who asked not to be named, as saying: "Anyone telling you there is control is lying."
He alleged that the army, Shin Bet, and police "have lost control of the ground" amid rising settler violence, pointing out that "the problem lies in the fact that no real effort has been made to regain control."
Absence of an operational plan
The newspaper said that Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir held a security meeting on Tuesday, with the participation of senior officials in security agencies and other bodies concerned with the situation in the West Bank and what it described as the phenomenon of "Jewish terrorism."
According to informed sources cited by the newspaper, the meeting ended without making any new fundamental decisions, despite the seriousness of the situation and fears of escalation before and after the elections.
It claimed that "criticism within the security establishment targets the absence of an operational plan to prevent attacks or allow for a rapid response, despite knowledge of the locations where violence concentrates and the identities of several key activists."
It pointed out that "anticipated military reinforcements may improve response speed, but they do not resolve the issue of the army's priorities or its ability to enforce the law."
Broader context
In recent years, there has been an escalation in settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank, which intensified during the weeks leading up to the Israeli elections.
Parties participating in Benjamin Netanyahu's government are seeking to appease settlers to secure their votes in the elections.
Palestinian, Israeli, and international human rights organizations state that Israeli authorities turn a blind eye to settler attacks, sometimes participate in them, and provide protection to their perpetrators.
Approximately 750,000 settlers live in 156 settlements and 360 outposts in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, and commit terrorist attacks aimed at forcibly displacing Palestinians.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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