The authority is angry about the storming of “Jenin” while it is regaining control in the northern West Bank
The Palestinian Authority conveyed an angry message to Israel, after the two incursions carried out by the Israeli army in Jenin camp this week, which included widespread clashes, injuries and arrests.
The Israeli Broadcasting Authority said that the Palestinian Authority strongly criticized the two recent operations, warning that they “exacerbate tensions in the West Bank.”
The angry message came as the Palestinian Authority began work to regain control in the northern West Bank, and was part of a broader understanding that included that Israel refrain from launching operations there, to give room for the Palestinian security services to operate.
Almost two months ago, the army forces refrained from carrying out such operations, and gave the Palestinian security services the opportunity to carry out activities in Jenin and Nablus.
A dead end after an Israeli military attack in Jenin in the West Bank, September 4 (AFP)
Israeli authorities commented on the Palestinian position, saying that the policy of enabling the Palestinian side to exercise sovereignty in Jenin and impose its security control over it has not changed, “but the Israeli security forces will reach places that the Palestinian Authority cannot reach.”
The authority had launched a campaign weeks ago, aimed, among other things, at restoring control and imposing prestige and law after years of discreet work.
In recent years, the authority has suffered from the expansion of the control of armed factions and gunmen in families as well, which has weakened it to a large extent, as it appeared in some areas to be almost absent.
The PA’s move came after years of Israeli accusations that it had lost control in the northern West Bank and weakened, and left the arena there to the “Hamas” and “Islamic Jihad” movements, accusations that the PA responded to by accusing Israel of weakening it there and trying to spread chaos.
Israeli security officials called for taking advantage of the current situation and presenting “goodwill overtures and concessions” to the Palestinians, in return for calming the West Bank, but on the ground, the Israeli government does not seem to respond to such a request.
On Thursday, the Israeli army stormed large areas in the West Bank, and arrested Palestinians, who he said were wanted. It carried out a wide operation in the West Bank, which ended with the arrest of 20 Palestinians, and the confiscation of weapons, ammunition, cars and money, according to an official Israeli statement.
Expansion of settlement roads
This came at a time when the Israeli government decided to expand settlement roads in the West Bank, within the framework of increasing the number of settlers in the West Bank to more than one million.
An archive photo of tents erected by settlers on Palestinian lands in Salfit, in the West Bank (Wafa)
The Israeli “Ynet” website said, on Thursday, that an agreement was signed between the Israeli Minister of Transportation, Miri Regev, and the head of the Samaria Settlements Council (Northern West Bank), Yossi Dagan, to start the work of doubling Road No. 505, which connects the settlements of Ariel near Salfit, and Tapuah, south of Nablus. At a cost of half a billion shekels, next summer, and Route No. 5, which starts in the Tel Aviv area to reach the Fasayel junction in the border valley, will be doubled at a cost of 1.5 billion shekels.
Work is supposed to start on the plan next year, and aims to create an encouraging infrastructure to attract hundreds of thousands of settlers in the West Bank.
The plan includes doubling Road No. 5 and exposing it, according to the location, which will turn it into the most important cross road connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, in parallel with the legalization of dozens of random outposts.
Dagan had presented this plan to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier, in order to increase the number of settlers in the West Bank to one million settlers until 2050.
The plan includes, in addition to establishing new cities and converting existing settlements into cities, widening streets and establishing a medical center in the center of the settlements’ regional council, building an airport, industrial areas, cultural centers, and extending a railway towards Israel.
A wall separating the Israeli settlement of Pisgat Ze’ev from the eastern part of Jerusalem (AFP)
The settlers believe that the best time to strengthen and expand settlement in the West Bank is under the current right-wing government, and that there is an irreplaceable opportunity for that.
Regev said these plans “are very important from a strategic point of view, at the national level, at the political level and at the security level. This is great news for all residents here, in the region in general, and for the entire State of Israel.”
Dagan said, “The path to a million (settlers) passes through construction, preservation of national lands, and most importantly, infrastructure and streets.”
Today, about half a million settlers live in the West Bank in 132 settlements and 146 settlement outposts, among more than 3 million Palestinians. These data do not include about 230,000 settlers living in 14 Israeli settlements established on the lands of East Jerusalem.
2023-09-07 15:27:02
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