Israel threatened on Monday to wage a “full-scale war” against the Palestinian Authority if it begins preparing an attack against Israeli forces or settlements.
اضافة اعلان
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement, “If there is a change in direction and the Palestinian Authority’s security forces and affiliated bodies begin launching an attack similar to October 7 against our forces and the settlements, or if we become absolutely certain that they are about to carry out such an attack, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have instructed the Israeli military to prepare to wage a full-scale war against the PA’s senior leadership, its security forces and affiliated bodies based in Ramallah in the central West Bank.”
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. Settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank has escalated in recent months, after those responsible for such violence had largely avoided legal prosecution for years.
The statement said the full-scale campaign against the Palestinian Authority would involve “assassinations targeting senior officials, the evacuation of residents from cities and villages from which such activities originate (...), and the destruction of all infrastructure in those areas.”
According to the statement, the operation would mirror the “security zones” where the Israeli military operates in Gaza, southern Lebanon and several displaced refugee camps in the northern West Bank.
About 1,106 Palestinians have been martyred by gunfire from Israeli soldiers or settlers.
