'West Bank from a time bomb to bomb ready to explode': Israeli media
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Israeli media outlets reported that security sources have described the West Bank as having "transformed from a time bomb into a bomb about to explode."
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An Israeli occupation soldier stands near the scene of a car that exploded in the West Bank illegal settlement of Karme Tsur on August 31, 2024. (AP)
Israeli media reported on Tuesday that security sources have described the West Bank as having "transformed from a time bomb into a bomb ready to explode."
Israel Hayom revealed that recent escalations and attacks in the West Bank have led the security and military establishment to overhaul its strategy. The region, previously classified as a "secondary battlefield" since the onset of the war, will now be designated as "the second battlefield," following Gaza.
The Israeli newspaper explained that this change is "just an initial directive" and that a significant adjustment in the West Bank will take time. It is anticipated that "a series of operations across the West Bank, akin to the operation in Jenin," will be implemented, according to reports from the security and military establishment.
The newspaper noted that the military operation, named "Summer Camps," which began last week, is "the longest Israeli army operation since 'Defensive Shield'", adding that "two brigade combat teams are currently active in the Jenin and Tulkarm camps," with the operation anticipated to continue soon.
Palestinian operations could be repeated elsewhere
Israel Hayom commented that "the Israeli army aims to reach October, the month of holidays, with a quieter West Bank arena."
Read next: West Bank Resistance launches Operation Terror of the Camps
It warned that "the Gush Etzion operation could be repeated in Jerusalem, Beersheba or Tel Aviv."
In this context, the newspaper stated that “recent brutal attacks, including the double attack in Gush Etzion, the attack in Tarqumiyah, and the thwarted attack in Ateret, underscore the need for a major, radical approach across the entire West Bank.” It added that the security establishment’s primary dilemma concerns the al-Khalil area, from which the two operations in recent days originated.
Israel Hayom noted that "there is an understanding of the need for aggressive action against operations originating from the city." Consequently, "large-scale operations focusing on intelligence gathering, in addition to efforts to impose a cordon around the city, could be undertaken, similar to what is happening now."
'Calls for war in West Bank'
In this context, the newspaper reported that local authorities in "Israel" are calling for a war in the West Bank. Minister of Settlements Orit Strook has urged the political-security cabinet to "implement emergency measures, including declaring a state of war in the West Bank."
She highlighted that "a double attack occurred in Gush Etzion" just two weeks after the release of five Hamas leaders in al-Khalil who had been detained at the beginning of the war.
Strook added, "With the outbreak of the war, there was a wave of arrests of key activists in the West Bank. Their release is part of a series of releases that have taken place, or are expected to take place soon, due to legal difficulties and lack of space in prisons."
These Israeli plans to escalate aggression in the West Bank come amid increasing Israeli concerns about the growth of Resistance activities in the region. This is evident in the actions of Resistance fighters, as factions in the West Bank persistently confront the occupation's military operation, now in its second week. Their resistance includes operations, ambushes, explosive devices, and armed confrontations.
The Palestinian Resistance in the West Bank has warned the Israeli occupation of further operations in response to its aggression in both the West Bank and Gaza. Yesterday, the al-Qassam Brigades declared that "all the governorates of the West Bank will hold painful surprises for the occupier."
The movement announced its full responsibility for two bombing attacks in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank on August 30, at exactly 11:00 pm (local time). The attacks targeted the Gush Etzion and the Karmei Tzur settlements in northern al-Khalil and injured four Israelis, including the commander of the Etzion Brigade.
Al-Qassam mourned two of its fighters who executed the attacks, martyr Mohammad Ihsan Marqah and martyr Zahdi Nidal Abu Afifa. The Palestinian Resistance faction detailed the two operations, which occurred simultaneously.
