Israel ‘unable to face off’ against Palestinian resistance in occupied West Bank

Senior Israeli analysts have concluded that the Israeli occupation forces have been unable to face off against increasing Palestinian resistance in the occupied West Bank, Rai Al-Youm reported on Tuesday.

“What Israeli army vehicles are facing in Jenin, including roadside bombs, reminds us of what we have seen on Lebanon,” said Dvir Kariv, a former official in Israel’s domestic security agency Shin Bet. “The Israeli troops are subject to repeated attacks, including those carried out by the Islamic Jihad… The army discussed armouring its vehicles to face the roadside bombs.”

A commentator on military issues, Roy Sharon, pointed out: “The Israeli army is facing an escalation in the north of the West Bank. The Palestinians succeed in their attacks against the army and the settlers, despite the fact that the army has been there for more than a year.” He added that the army and military institution have failed to reduce the levels of the attacks while the Palestinians succeed in carrying out attacks on roads. “Such attacks have reached a point that requires decision-makers to think again.”

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According to Amir Bar Shalom, another Israeli military and security commentator, “We are talking about the start of the second millennia. A lot of the regular forces were invested in areas such as the West Bank, and when the Second Lebanon War [2006] began, the forces came without proper training.”

The comments were made following a gun attack on Israeli occupation forces near Al-Rayhan Crossing in the north of the occupied West Bank that wounded five soldiers, explained Rai Al-Youm.