Senior officials in the Israeli army, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and members of the war cabinet warned of a “slippery slope” that could lead to an imminent escalation in the cities of the occupied West Bank, which could constitute “a new front that Israel will have to deal with with great force.”

This came, according to what was reported by the Israeli Channel 12, in light of the intensive military operations conducted by the Israeli army in the West Bank and the high frequency of incursions, raids and arrests since the seventh of last October, which resulted in the death of 340 Palestinians by occupation bullets throughout the West Bank.

The channel reported that the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army, Herzi Halevy, and senior Israeli officers, issued clear and direct warnings to the leadership of the war cabinet, on various occasions during the past days, in which they stressed that “the West Bank is on the verge of explosion,” considering that “the matter may end in an outbreak of war.” A third intifada."

The military leadership attributed this to “the escalation of the unrest resulting from economic difficulties and the prevention of Palestinian workers from working in Israel.” The report stressed that senior officials in the Israeli security services, including officials in the General Security Service (Shin Bet), “are partners in these fears and they joined the army's warnings."

The report stated that these warnings come against the backdrop of Netanyahu’s reluctance - who is under pressure from his partners in the government - to raise the issue of “allowing the entry of a large number of Palestinian workers into Israel” to the security and political cabinet vote, as well as in light of the Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich’s refusal to transfer funds. Clearing house for the Palestinian Authority.

The expectations of the Israeli army in particular and the Israeli security services in general indicate that “this state of turmoil may end with the outbreak of widespread violence,” and officials in the military establishment urged Netanyahu to “conduct ad hoc deliberations on this issue and make decisions to prevent the ignition of the sensitive situation in West Bank.”

The channel pointed out that officials in the administration of US President Joe Biden share these concerns with the Israeli security services, and are pressuring Tel Aviv to work to “reduce tension in the West Bank,” while Netanyahu refrains from taking practical steps in this context due to his political considerations in the matter. Under the pressure exerted on him by his coalition partners.

The US Secretary of State, who arrived in Israel last night from Saudi Arabia, where he held talks with the Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, will try to "pressure Netanyahu to control the Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, to transfer Palestinian tax funds to the Authority."