The wave of recent operations in the occupied West Bank has raised concerns in Israel about the escalation of violence in light of the difficult economic conditions.
Israeli security officials have warned that the combination of Israel’s annexation plans and the economic difficulties the Palestinian territories are experiencing due to the coronavirus pandemic could lead to a violent uprising in the West Bank.
Intelligence officials said that over the past two years, West Bank residents have mainly come out to protest economic issues.
They noted that, for the most part, Palestinians avoided a violent escalation even when the United States moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, as well as during the strikes of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and even when Gazans were getting shot during marches on the border fence.
The security officials presented data from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, as well as intelligence information.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s vow to move forward with annexation in parts of the West Bank is also a factor that could further fuel potential violence against Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA), the Haaretz daily reported.
The rate of offensive operations and attempts to carry them out has increased during the past few weeks.
According to an Israeli report, 10 operations have been carried out by Palestinians since early 2020 in the West Bank. These include stabbings, running over, shooting, and throwing stones.
The report mentioned a group of operations, including those that have taken place in April and current May.
On April 22, a Palestinian man carried out a run-over and stabbing attack at the entrance of Maale Adumim settlement, east of Jerusalem, in which an Israeli soldier was wounded and the perpetrator was killed by the Israeli fire.
And on April 28, a Palestinian from Tulkarem stabbed a female settler in Kfar Saba, causing her critical wounds. The perpetrator was shot by Israeli soldiers, who slightly injured him and took him to custody.
While on May 12, a Palestinian man threw a stone on the head of an Israeli soldier in the village of Yaabad near the northern city of Jenin, killing him, while 20 other Israeli soldiers have been injured in separate operations.
On May 14, a run over operation was carried out southern Hebron, in which an Israeli soldier was seriously wounded and his leg was amputated.
The Israeli army foiled an armed attack on Friday in the occupied Palestinian village of Abu Dis, near Jerusalem.
Hamas Movement has encouraged the continuation of such an approach, noting that these operations carried out in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem prove that the resistance spirit is part of the Palestinians.
“The intimidation, terror, and repression will only let Palestinians insist on moving on in this path, to achieve liberation and restore their rights by force, no matter what they sacrifice,” it stressed.
