Israel’s DM warns of security unrest in West Bank

Israel’s Minister of Defence, Yoav Gallant, yesterday warned of security unrest in the occupied West Bank due to the government’s insistence on preventing the entry of at least 100,000 Palestinian workers in to Israel for work since 7 October and the withholding of tax revenues which Tel Aviv collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (PA).

Following an assessment of the security situation held at the Israeli army’s West Bank Division, Gallant said the presence of a strong Palestinian Authority serves Israel’s security interest, stressing the need for caution as the war on Gaza could lead to an escalation of operations against Israeli occupation forces throughout the West Bank, according to a statement issued by the Israeli Ministry of Defence.

Gallant stressed that all necessary resources will be allocated to the security forces operating against the Palestinians in the West Bank.

Since Israel started its devastating war on the besieged Gaza Strip on 7 October, members of the Israeli coalition government prevented the entry of thousands of Palestinian workers from the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip into Israel for work and refused to transfer tax revenues due to the PA without deducting the funds allocated for the besieged Gaza Strip.

Biden losing patience with Israel’s Netanyahu over Gaza: Report