The West Bank is witnessing attacks and provocative actions by settlers against Palestinians under the supervision of “extremist nationalist” elements in the Israeli government. These escalations, in addition to the lack of response by the Palestinian Authority and its disintegration, may lead to a third intifada.
Haaretz writer Zvi Bar’el said that the Palestine Liberation Organization, especially Fatah, must address the situation and unify fronts and strategies with the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and the Islamic Jihad Movement against the Israeli attacks on Gaza and the West Bank.
The writer warned that the failure to unify fronts against the actions of extremist Jewish “terrorist” gangs in the West Bank, and the efforts of… Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir and his aides’ attempt to control Al-Aqsa Mosque will lead to the outbreak of a broad Palestinian uprising similar to the first and second intifadas.
Fatah told the newspaper that the fear of a repeat of what is happening in Gaza is what is preventing the people of the West Bank from rising up. The destruction that Israel has caused in the Strip and its indiscriminate killing of civilians is not insignificant. Fatah also believes that the people of the West Bank see what is happening in Gaza as a matter between Hamas and Israel.
The newspaper added that Fatah and the Palestine Liberation Organization are suffering from internal divisions and differences of opinion between supporters and opponents of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and about the necessity of reconciling with Hamas. These disputes paralyze any strategic planning for diplomatic efforts to resolve the war or to deal with the facts on the ground.
Since the beginning of the war, the people of the West Bank have suffered from hardship and freedom of movement, and have lost 10,000 jobs in Israel. There are fears that the recent escalations will be the tipping point that will push them towards widespread protests, according to the writer.
In the writer’s opinion, the outbreak of protests in the West Bank will harm Israel’s interests and will not benefit its efforts to control the Philadelphi Corridor and the Rafah crossing. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must stop ignoring repeated warnings about the situation in the West Bank and shift his efforts there.
According to Tel Aviv Tribune, the Israeli army began a military operation in the northern West Bank last Wednesday, the largest since 2002. Since the beginning of the war, the army has caused the martyrdom of 679 Palestinians in the West Bank, including 150 children, the injury of more than 5,600, and the arrest of more than 10,400 people.
