Israel Warns of Potential Third Intifada Amid Escalating West Bank Violence
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Israeli security forces have issued stern warnings to political leaders and settlers regarding the escalating violence in the West Bank, suggesting the situation is teetering on the brink of a major crisis and the possibility of a third intifada. Channel 12 of the Israeli regime, citing security command, reported that officials are concerned about the extensive support provided by political leaders to settlers who engaged in arson attacks in five locations recently. Official figures indicate that settlers have been involved in 219 documented attacks in recent months.
In parallel to these security concerns, Israeli settlers set fire to an industrial zone in the town of Bita, south of Nablus, on Monday. Simultaneously, Israeli army forces conducted extensive raids in the village of Dier Jarir, near Ramallah, detaining Palestinians and transforming a Palestinian home into a field interrogation center. Occupying forces also raided the Al-Aroub refugee camp, the towns of Beit Ummar and Idna in the Hebron Governorate, the town of Kafr Qaddum east of Qalqiliya, the village of Tel southwest of Nablus, the outskirts of ‘Aqtaba northeast of Tulkarm, and the village of Jilbun east of Jenin. Israeli soldiers also arrested the father of two martyrs, Ibrahim and Jawad Ramadaan, in the village of Tel.
The previous day, settlers attacked Palestinian villages in the West Bank in the early morning hours, setting fire to two mosques and spray-painting slogans on walls. The West Bank has been experiencing a series of escalating settler attacks. According to statistics from the United Nations and the Palestinian Authority, these attacks have resulted in the deaths of dozens of Palestinians and injuries to hundreds this year.
Israeli Channel 12, quoting security officials, reported that the Israeli army is considering deploying additional forces to the West Bank in anticipation of Jewish holidays. Earlier, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing elections in October, had ordered a broad security operation in the West Bank and canceled military leave. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has also advocated for the annexation of the West Bank.
Netanyahu’s decision has drawn criticism from within the Knesset and the opposition. Knesset member Gilad Kariv stated that the Prime Minister and his Finance Minister are seeking a ‘third intifada’ in the West Bank, writing on the X platform that Netanyahu’s cabinet is aiming to ignite the situation in the West Bank rather than de-escalate it. Kariv, a member of the Democrats party, added that there is a group intentionally pushing the region toward a third intifada, with Netanyahu acting for political reasons and Smotrich pursuing his agenda. He warned that the current tensions are such that the army cannot protect Israeli or Palestinian citizens from the violence of extremist settlers.
Further criticism came from Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats party, who accused the Netanyahu government of threatening the security of the Israeli regime by turning the West Bank into a ‘powder keg.’ In response, the office of the Palestinian Prime Minister issued a statement on the X platform, declaring that ‘settler terrorism, supported by the Israeli cabinet, has turned into systematic massacres across the occupied West Bank.’ Official Palestinian figures indicate that since October 2023, over 1182 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, thousands injured, and approximately 24,000 arrested.
