Bennett Says Israel ‘Moving from Defense to Offense’

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett during a cabinet meeting (AP)
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett during a cabinet meeting (AP)
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Bennett Says Israel ‘Moving from Defense to Offense’

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett during a cabinet meeting (AP)
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett during a cabinet meeting (AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett tried to justify the widespread escalation in the West Bank and the massive arrest campaigns among political activists saying Israel was moving from defense to offense.

Speaking at a weekly cabinet meeting, Bennett said, "We are moving from defense to offense, and attacking the sources of terrorism, anytime, anywhere, at night, during the day, in the morning, in the evening, and wherever they are."

During the session, Bennett, the Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Public Security Minister Omer Barlev, and all security leaders left the meeting to conduct "security deliberations" about the army and intelligence activities in the West Bank, Jenin, and Nablus.

"As I said, there will be no restrictions on the security forces, on the IDF, the Shin Bet, and the Israel Police. We will continue to pursue the terrorists everywhere," he said.

Gantz revealed that he delivered a "strong message to the Palestinian Authority" to take action to protect Joseph's Tomb in Nablus and punish the violators.

He said that Israel will work quickly to "ensure that the site is refurbished and quickly returned to its original condition."

Israeli forces continued their escalation for the third day in a row on Monday in the northern areas of the West Bank, injuring dozens and arresting 25 people suspected of assisting the perpetrators of the armed operations.

Clashes erupted between the Palestinians and Israeli forces.

"Dear citizens, we are in a difficult and challenging period. It could be that it will be prolonged. The second intifada took several years, but in the end, we won. The wave of lone-wolf terrorism in 2015-2016 continued for almost a year and cost us 50 victims, but in the end, we won. This time too, we will win,." said Bennett addressing Israelis.

The PM stated that lone attacks without organizational infrastructure are a significant challenge for the security establishment, but it will meet them.

"Our enemies will seek out every crack and exploit every opportunity to attack us."

Political sources revealed that the Israeli government approved a proposal submitted by Bennett, Lapid, and Minister of Welfare and Social Affairs Meir Cohen to establish a team to formulate a policy on revoking the eligibility for "state pensions, support payments, and the other benefits from state bodies of the families of terrorists who are residents and citizens of Israel and who carried out security offenses and acts of terrorism."

The team will formulate recommendations and present them to the cabinet on the relevant issues, including advice regarding necessary legislative changes.

Bennett said: "We will settle accounts with terrorists and with the circles that surround them."

Meanwhile, the Israeli army issued Sunday a demolition order for the home of a Palestinian Diaa Hamarsheh, who carried out the Bnei Brak operation about two weeks ago.

Hamrasha is from Yabad village in the northern West Bank. The occupation army handed the family a demolition notice and a deadline to appeal the order.



Marzouki’s Case Referred to Anti-Terrorism Unit, Former Tunisian President Faces 20 New Charges

Former Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki (AFP)
Former Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki (AFP)
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Marzouki’s Case Referred to Anti-Terrorism Unit, Former Tunisian President Faces 20 New Charges

Former Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki (AFP)
Former Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki (AFP)

Former Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki announced on Tuesday that he had been informed his case had been transferred to the Anti-Terrorism Judicial Unit. He now faces 20 charges, including inciting internal unrest and spreading false information.
Marzouki wrote on X that his brother, Mokhles, was summoned on Monday to the police station of El Kantaoui (governorate of Sousse) to sign a document stating that Moncef Marzouki’s case had been referred to the Anti-Terrorist Judicial Unit.
Marzouki wrote that he had already been convicted to four and eight years in prison in two separate cases.
He concluded his post with a famous quote borrowed from Abu al-Qasim al-Shabi, “Night will no doubt dissipate.”
Last February, a Tunisian court sentenced former president Moncef Marzouki to eight years in prison in absentia.
The charges against Marzouki, who lives in Paris, stemmed from remarks he made that authorities said violated laws and triggered incitement to overthrow the government.
Marzouki served as the first democratically elected president of Tunisia from 2011 to 2014.
This is the second time Moncef Marzouki has been sentenced for comments made at demonstrations and on social media. In December 2021, he received a four-year sentence for undermining state security.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Defence Minister Khaled S'hili announced that Tunisia's national army had dismantled terrorist camps, neutralized 62 landmines, and seized various materials and equipment in 2024, as part of ongoing efforts in the fight against terrorism.
As of October 31, the Tunisian army had conducted 990 anti-terrorist operations in suspected areas, including large-scale operations in the country's mountainous regions. These operations involved over 19,500 military personnel, according to Defense Minister Khaled S'hili, speaking at a joint session of the two chambers of parliament.
He then confirmed that these operations led to the arrest of around 695 smugglers and the seizure of 375,000 drug pills.