Apocalyptic West Bank war preventable by Gaza ceasefire: Israeli media

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
8 Sep 2024 12:39
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Israeli politicians, media, and senior military officers are frustrated by the actions of Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, who they believe are pushing the West Bank into an apocalyptic war.

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Palestinian mourners carry the bodies of martyred Palestinian Resistance fighters who were killed by Israeli occupation forces in Jenin, the West Bank, occupied Palestine, on September 6, 2024. (AP)

Israeli occupation forces are trying to prevent a "full-fledged" Intifada in the occupied West Bank and taking a series of decisions that have displeased illegal settlers. The military is also warning of Israeli ministers' actions, which are bringing the occupied territory closer to an apocalyptic scene.

Among such decisions is the removal of multiple land barriers in the territory, hoping that allowing Palestinians easier movement in the occupied territory would prevent the entire population of the West Bank from joining acts of resistance.

"Therefore, contrary to the demands of the settlers in [in the West Bank], the IDF is removing barriers that were imposed following the car bombings (in al-Khalil) and tries to allow the population as much freedom of movement and livelihood as possible," Ron Ben Yishai, a veteran Israeli war correspondent, wrote for the Ynet news website.

The war correspondent pointed to the pressure employed by Israeli authorities against Palestinians in the West Bank, including bans on work permits, which is encouraging Palestinians to join the Resistance.

Ben Yishai reported that fears are rising of a "mass attack" by Palestinians on illegal Israeli settlements near them.

He also cited the Israeli military command's belief that unless appropriate security measures are taken in the West Bank, the territory "will not ease."

Ben-Gvir, Smotrich fueling operations in the West Bank

Although the Israeli military command has not outright blamed Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for increased "instability" in the West Bank, the war correspondent said that senior reservists have made such claims.

He said that the expansion of Resistance operations from the northern West Bank to the southern areas in the occupied territories is directly linked to the actions of Ben-Gvir and Smotrich.

Ben-Gvir's poor management of prison facilities has also led Israeli occupation forces to delay requests from the Israeli Shin Bet intelligence agency for detaining Palestinians. This is simply because prison facilities are overcrowded.

Extremists pushing for apocalyptic war

"This situation cannot continue. We are on the verge of a major explosion in [the West Bank]," a senior officer told Ynet.

The Police Minister faced further backlash for his storming of the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied al-Quds, a site revered for its Islamic significance.

His actions cause a "great deal of outrage," which may inflame "the entire Arab world," security sources told Ynet.

The senior reserve officer, who is serving in the West Bank, also told Ben Yishai that the Israeli political echelon, especially Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, is trying to ignite an apocalyptic war in the West Bank.

This war would lead to the expulsion of Palestinians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, which would allow the extremist politicians to achieve their vision for the complete "Land of Israel which is under exclusive Jewish control."

"That's how they seriously think, and it's a recipe for disaster," the senior officer said.

Sharing a similar take on developments in the West Bank, former senior Israeli officer and opposition politician, Yair Golan, criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for "deliberately ignoring warnings from security and military officials and granting full freedom of action to Ben-Gvir and Smotrich in the West Bank."

Golan also spoke of extremist politicians' push for an apocalyptic war in the West Bank, where this segment of the Israeli political spectrum is "doing all it can to ignite a third Intifada."

Settler violence instigate more resistance

Golan also warned that "Jewish terrorism, under the sponsorship of its representatives in the government and with the disregard of law enforcement authorities, is leading Israel to an existential threat."

"We will all pay the terrible bloody price. Take to the streets now, before it's too late," Golan added.

In a similar context, Ben Yishai said the rampage of Israeli settlers is also pushing many Palestinian youths to join in on acts of resistance.

He also said that Israeli police are not doing enough to fulfill their role and prevent a confrontation between illegal settlers and Palestinians in the West Bank, forcing the Israeli military command to step in.

"At most, the IDF can only minimize the damage but cannot prevent the friction between the populations," he added.

It is worth noting that since October 7, 2023, crimes committed by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and Bediouns have greatly increased.

In such attacks, 19 Palestinians were killed, 785 others were injured, and a total of 28 Bedouin communities were displaced, as reported by the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission.

Ending the war on Gaza will prevent West Bank apocalypse

Meanwhile, the Israeli newspaper Maariv explained that a "deal to return the captives and the ceasefire in Gaza might be [Israel's] last chance to prevent this apocalyptic vision."

The newspaper explained that calm in Gaza would allow for calm in the West Bank.

Maariv pointed out that the current trend in the occupied territory "will inevitably lead, at some point, to the full Hamas-ization of the West Bank," turning it into "a second Gaza."

On the other hand, Ben Yishai's analysis further highlights the frustrations within the Israeli military command, especially concerning the political leadership's handling of the captives situation and the overall war effort. According to Yishai, the military might need to fully mobilize its reserves to maintain high-intensity operations across multiple fronts, including in the West Bank, where nearly 25 Israeli battalions are currently deployed.

However, the political echelon's hesitance to make necessary compromises—whether in the ceasefire negotiations or by calming settlers in the West Bank—undermines these efforts.

Moreover, Ben Yishai notes a growing dissatisfaction among senior military officers, who feel that their supposed "tactical successes", particularly in Gaza, the West Bank, and air operations in the north, are not translating into strategic achievements due to the political leadership’s indecisiveness.