The US administration has recently warned Israel that a violent escalation in the West Bank, along with continued settlement construction there, will jeopardize the Washington’s efforts to normalize relations between Israel and Arab countries, Haaretz reported on Wednesday.
The United States expressed its stance to Israel before its military operation in Jenin on Monday, when the Israeli Army killed several Palestinians, the newspaper said.
Senior US and Israeli officials told Haaretz that the Biden administration was concerned both about efforts to reach an agreement with Arab countries and attempts to reconvene the Negev Forum, which includes the foreign ministers of Israel, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt and the United States.
Last week, Morocco announced the postponement of the Negev Forum for the fourth time. A source close to the Biden administration who is familiar with Israel's relations with the Arab world told Haaretz that Israel's conduct in the West Bank has “tremendously embarrassed” Morocco, and that this will make it difficult for the country to host the convention as planned.
Meanwhile, some of Washington’s warnings were conveyed by Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf, who is visiting Israel this week.
US efforts to further advance normalization with Arab states could be harmed by these developments, Leaf told Israeli officials.
Also, Haaretz reported that Washington is worried that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would adopt the position of his cabinet's far-right ministers and launch an extensive military operation in the northern West Bank.
It said Washington's chief concern is that the West Bank violence will spill over into Jerusalem, which would harm normalization efforts.
On Monday, seven Palestinians were killed in a daylong battle against Israeli troops in Jenin.
As Israel deployed more forces to the area, Netanyahu said he had approved plans to build 1,000 new homes in Eli.
The international community opposes settlements on occupied lands sought by the Palestinians for a future independent state. Netanyahu's far-right government is dominated by settler leaders and supporters.
Also, an Israeli drone killed three armed Palestinians in the West Bank on Wednesday, in a rare strike that came hours after settlers attacked Palestinian towns, torching cars and buildings in retaliation for an attack by Hamas gunmen a day earlier.
Palestinian officials had met with Leaf and informed her that the Sharm el-Sheikh summit, like the one in Aqaba, was uncapable to stop the Israeli military escalations.
They also told the US official that there is no need to hold another meeting in the future in light of the Israeli failure to respect previous deals.
But, the Americans asked the Palestinians to have some patience pending efforts to arrange matters. Leaf pressed the Israelis, as did the US ambassador to Israel, Thomas Nides.
The US State Department said it will continue to work with Israel and the Palestinian Authority to strengthen steps towards de-escalation.
Nides had conveyed similar concerns to the government before and after the clashes in Jenin.
On Twitter, the Ambassador said he is “deeply concerned about the civilian deaths and injuries that have occurred in the West Bank these past 48 hours, including that of minors. Praying for the families as they mourn the loss of loved ones, or tend to those injured.”
Israeli officials did not welcome Nides’ statements, which express his regret over the deaths on both sides, considering the victims as “equal.”
After receiving strong criticism, Nides posted a second tweet, saying, “I condemn in the strongest terms the senseless murder of four innocent Israelis today — my heart is with their grieving family members.”
In response to Nides, Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Herzog tweeted that “yet another heinous Palestinian terror attack claimed the lives of 4 innocent Israeli civilians.”
He added that “there is no justification whatsoever for the targeting and killing of innocent civilians,” and that “it must be unequivocally condemned.”
He then referred to Jenin as an “Iranian terror stronghold,” located “a few minutes away from Israeli population centers.”
