Key facts
- Israeli military sources are concerned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may be deliberately escalating tensions in the occupied West Bank ahead of elections.
- Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has questioned the government's intentions and wants to avoid drawing the army into new crises driven by political considerations.
- Settler violence against Palestinians is rising, with accusations that Israeli forces are not intervening.
- Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir warned Netanyahu that the West Bank was nearing a point of no return due to settler actions.
- Netanyahu reportedly expressed displeasure with security warnings, viewing them as detrimental to his election campaign, and demanded operational plans for confronting Palestinians.
Israeli military sources have expressed concern that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may be deliberately escalating tensions in the occupied West Bank ahead of upcoming elections. The report suggests this violence is being used to divert attention from failures related to the October 7 attack.
Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has reportedly questioned the government's intentions, aiming to prevent the army from being drawn into new crises driven by political considerations. He personally informed Netanyahu of his concerns and reiterated them at a meeting with Defense Minister Yisrael Katz and senior commanders, warning that the West Bank was nearing a point of no return due to settler actions, which he termed "nationalist crimes." Commander Avi Blot also expressed grave concern that the situation was on the verge of exploding.
Discussions highlighted a paradox: a decline in Palestinian attacks contrasted with a significant increase in settler attacks and provocations against Palestinian residents and their property. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has openly advocated for a more intense campaign in the West Bank, which could be used to justify military action against the Palestinian Authority.
Netanyahu reportedly expressed displeasure with these security warnings, deeming them detrimental to his election campaign. He is said to have steered the discussion toward scenarios of a full-scale confrontation with the Palestinians and the Palestinian Authority, demanding operational plans. Following the meeting, Netanyahu's media team reportedly launched a campaign to downplay the military leaders' warnings, portraying them as focusing solely on settler violence while ignoring preparations for major threats.
The political and security escalation occurs ahead of Israeli general elections scheduled for October 27. The ruling coalition parties are reportedly vying for the favor of the settler population, which exceeds 750,000 in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. As the election approaches, settler attacks are intensifying, coinciding with accelerated settlement expansion plans. Large-scale raids and military operations have also continued in various West Bank cities and refugee camps since the start of the war on Gaza.