Israel calls for ‘Palestinian self-management’ in occupied West Bank

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz called today for “Palestinian self-management” in the occupied West Bank with security and foreign affairs under Israel’s control, Anadolu has reported.

The call came a day after Palestinian resistance group Hamas appointed Yahya Sinwar as its political chief to succeed Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated by, it is said, Israeli agents in Iran’s capital Tehran last week. Israel has neither confirmed or denied responsibility.

“The election of Yahya Sinwar as the leader of Hamas must send a clear message to the world that the Palestinian issue is now completely controlled by Iran and Hamas,” claimed Katz on X. He alleged that Israeli military operations in the occupied West Bank aim to prevent the fall of the territory under Hamas control.

“The solution is Palestinian self-management in Judea and Samaria [the West Bank], allowing them to manage their own lives,” Katz said. “Israel must maintain control over security and foreign affairs to prevent the establishment of another Iranian-Islamist extremist stronghold and enable Palestinians to manage their internal affairs.”

There was no immediate comment about this from the Palestinian Authority or any of the Palestinian factions.

Under the internationally-promoted “two-state solution”, Palestinians want to establish an independent state in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip, which is opposed by Israel. Last month, the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) voted to reject the establishment of a Palestinian state, calling it an “existential threat” to the occupation state.

In a landmark opinion on 19 July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian land to be “illegal” and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem

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