Israeli Army Warns of West Bank Security Flare-up

Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel's new Minister of National Security and leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party, greets supporters during a visit to Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda market on December 30, 2022. (AFP)
Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel's new Minister of National Security and leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party, greets supporters during a visit to Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda market on December 30, 2022. (AFP)
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Israeli Army Warns of West Bank Security Flare-up

Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel's new Minister of National Security and leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party, greets supporters during a visit to Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda market on December 30, 2022. (AFP)
Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel's new Minister of National Security and leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party, greets supporters during a visit to Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda market on December 30, 2022. (AFP)

The Israeli army’s leadership has once again warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of the seriousness of statements made by some far-right ministers.

It warned of the fallout from recently enacted laws and the procedure adopted to expand settlements and convert the outposts into permanent settlements.

It said the already tense security situation could lead to a wider flare-up on the ground.

According to informed sources in Tel Aviv, army Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi conveyed this message during his first meeting with newly-appointed Defense minister Yoav Galant on Friday. 

Israeli defense officials warned of escalation in the West Bank due to the changes to the army introduced by the new government, Haaretz reported.

The changes include the transfer of military powers to the heads of the far-right Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit parties – Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir.

According to Haaretz, there is a growing concern among army intelligence officials that conflicts in the West Bank will increase in the near future.

This is in “view of the internal processes within the Palestinian Authority and the new government's plans to make unilateral moves in the West Bank and the Temple Mount and with Arab citizens of Israel.” 

Kohavi held talk with Netanyahu last week to express concern about the coalition's expected transfer of powers from the army to Smotrich and Ben-Gvir.

Kohavi, whose term will end on Jan.17, said these moves could change the face of the army and cause major security harm.

Under the coalition agreements, Smotrich will serve as finance minister as well as minister in the defense ministry and will gain control over the organization of operations in the occupied territories in the civil administration which manages Palestinian affairs, as well as the appointment of judicial advisors on all matters related to incidents in the occupied West Bank.

Meanwhile, Ben-Gvir will serve as national security minister and will have direct control over border guards, allowing him to influence orders on the ground and transfer guard units from the West Bank to the Negev and Galilee.



Palestinian Families in Tents Endure Harsh Conditions on Gaza’s Windswept Coast

Displaced Palestinians stand in front of tents along an inundated passage, following heavy rainfall north of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on November 24, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
Displaced Palestinians stand in front of tents along an inundated passage, following heavy rainfall north of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on November 24, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
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Palestinian Families in Tents Endure Harsh Conditions on Gaza’s Windswept Coast

Displaced Palestinians stand in front of tents along an inundated passage, following heavy rainfall north of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on November 24, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
Displaced Palestinians stand in front of tents along an inundated passage, following heavy rainfall north of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on November 24, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)

Displaced Palestinian families living in makeshift tent camps along the desolate beach in Deir al-Balah say there's no way to stay warm as winter hits the Gaza Strip.
Wind from the sea whips through shelters of torn tarps and bedsheets, held together with rope and wooden frames. They offer little insulation to Muhammad al-Sous, his wife and their five kids. Their tent is right on the beach beside a sandy bluff, just meters (yards) from the waves, and he says high seas washed away most of their belongings, The Associated Press said.
“These children, I swear to God, their mother and I cover ourselves with one blanket and we cover them with three blankets that we got from neighbors,” he said. The kids collect plastic bottles to burn for warmth in front of their tent.
“Everyone has nothing but what they are wearing. When my wife bathes them, she washes their clothes and hangs them up to dry while they stay here under the covers until their clothes are dry,” said al-Sous, who was displaced from Beit Lahiya.
At least three babies died from the cold this week while sleeping in tents, according to doctors at Nasser Hospital. A nurse who worked at the European Hospital also died of exposure in a tent. Overnight temperatures have dipped as low as 9 degrees Celsius (48 degrees Fahrenheit) in the territory.
Meanwhile, Atta al-Hassoumi, another man displaced from Beit Lahiya along with eight family members, said they pray for mild weather without rain or storms.
“We are shivering from the cold and from the situation that we are in. ... I'm unable to work or do anything in war, and I am unable to do anything for them,” he said.