Dr. Ahmed Rafiq Awad: Serious threats may indicate the start of implementing a plan to impose sovereignty over parts of the West Bank, carry out massacres, and push towards displacement

Akram Atallah: What is required is not a direct confrontation with the Israeli storm, but rather adherence to the Palestinian presence on the ground as a basic priority

Abdullah Abu Rahma: The occupation may not resort to the public displacement of Palestinians, but it creates harsh conditions that push Palestinians to voluntarily emigrate

Dr. Tamara Haddad: Threats to turn Nablus and Jenin into areas similar to Jabalia reflect Israel’s intention to use a scorched earth policy and displacement

Nihad Abu Ghosh: A comprehensive national response is required to confront threats...and to unite on a comprehensive national emergency program aimed at protecting the Palestinian people

Fayez Abbas: Netanyahu and Smotrich's statements after the hotel operation carry dangerous implications indicating a violent and unprecedented escalation in the West Bank

Israeli threats against Palestinians in the West Bank are escalating, with threatening statements made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, after the shooting attack in the village of Al-Funduq east of Qalqilya on Monday, calling for the implementation of wide-ranging offensive and defensive policies, and even the destruction of Jenin and Nablus as happened in Jabalia.

In separate interviews with “I”, writers, political analysts and specialists believe that these statements go beyond being reactions to the operation in the West Bank, but rather carry clear indications of the implementation of strategic plans that may include the displacement of Palestinians, and perhaps the implementation of massacres and the expansion of Israeli settlements in an unprecedented manner, indicating that the West Bank may be heading towards a new phase of escalation, which portends dangerous events.

Writers, analysts and specialists confirm that confronting these challenges comes through national unity and developing a comprehensive emergency plan to protect the Palestinian land and existence, as well as abandoning bets on futile international initiatives, and working collectively to restore national rights and confront Israeli plans that aim to change the demographic and geographical reality in favor of the settlement project.

Netanyahu and Smotrich's statements pose great risks

Writer and political analyst Dr. Ahmed Rafiq Awad warns of the great dangers posed by the statements of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding offensive and defensive plans in the West Bank, in addition to the statements of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who called for turning the cities of Nablus and Jenin into “Jabalia,” in a clear reference to committing massacres against the Palestinians.

Awad points out that these threatening statements mean that the next stage may witness the beginning of the implementation of the plan to impose Israeli sovereignty over parts of the West Bank, especially the areas classified as “C,” in parallel with the massacres and the push towards displacement.

Awad explains that Israel has been paving the way for years by building a legal and political system to strengthen its control over areas classified as “C,” which is considered an explicit political declaration to annex these areas.

Awad asserts that the recent statements may be followed by field measures that include a wider deployment of Israeli forces in the West Bank, and the reinforcement of military checkpoints with advanced defense systems based on artificial intelligence technologies.

Awad warns of the possibility of carrying out large-scale military incursions that are not limited to the northern West Bank, but may extend to include other areas.

Intensifying settlement and more political blackmail of the Authority

Awad points out that these escalations coincide with the intensification of settlement, which practically means the displacement of Palestinians from their lands.

According to Awad, settlements lead to the expulsion of Palestinians, and increasing barriers leads to an exacerbation of poverty and unemployment rates, which pushes Palestinians to forced migration, even individually, to escape living conditions that resemble “hell.”

Awad points out that Israel is systematically seeking to weaken the Palestinian Authority, destroy the two-state solution, and separate the West Bank from the Gaza Strip.

Awad believes that the next stage may witness more political blackmail of the Palestinian Authority, so deepening the internal Palestinian division strengthens Israeli hegemony on the ground.

In the face of these dangers, Dr. Awad stresses that what is required for Palestine is to achieve national reconciliation and restore unity within a unified Palestinian vision, which blocks the path of the Israeli occupation that claims the absence of a Palestinian partner for negotiation, while Awad calls for effective and real Arab action to confront these Israeli plans.

Awad stresses the necessity for the Palestine Liberation Organization to return to the international arena by activating its efforts in the United Nations, the Security Council, and international courts, to expose and expose Israel’s policies towards the West Bank.

Awad believes that the Israeli escalation in the West Bank aims to change the demographic and geographical reality in favor of the settlement project, which requires urgent Palestinian, Arab and international efforts to stop this aggressive policy.

Premeditated projects threaten the future of Palestinians in the West Bank

Writer and political analyst Akram Atallah asserts that the threats made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to the West Bank represent a very dangerous development and reveal premeditated projects that threaten the future of Palestinians in these areas.

Atallah explains that these statements do not come as a reaction to the escalation of the resistance operations in the West Bank only, but rather exploit the current situation to implement strategic projects that Israel has been working on for years, similar to what happened in the Gaza Strip.

Atallah points out that the Israeli government, headed by Netanyahu, has always announced its intentions to annex Palestinian lands in the West Bank, which is a long-standing strategic project, even before Smotrich was in the current government since the “Deal of the Century” that includes annexing large areas of the West Bank in favor of the occupation, but Smotrich’s presence has strengthened these trends.

Risks of mass displacement from the West Bank

Atallah explains that Netanyahu and Smotrich's statements cannot be treated as passing statements or a reaction to recent operations, but rather they must be understood in the context of Israel's exploitation of events to implement its strategic plans.

Atallah stresses that these statements require the utmost seriousness, because the continuation of the situation in this manner may lead to the commission of massacres and mass displacement operations in the West Bank.

Atallah recalls the Israeli experience in the Gaza Strip, where Israel carried out genocide without any real international deterrent, pointing out that Israel may seek to repeat this experience in the West Bank, by targeting camps and committing crimes, especially since it has not been held accountable for its crimes so far in the Gaza Strip, which encourages it to commit crimes in the West Bank.

Atallah warns that there is a real danger of forced or voluntary displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank, especially if Israeli pressure on them continues.

Atallah points out that the historical experience during the Second Intifada indicates that a large number of Palestinians were forced to move to East Jordan, especially since many of them hold Jordanian passports.

Managing the current stage rationally and with extreme caution

In the face of these challenges, Atallah calls on the Palestinians to manage the current stage rationally and with extreme caution.

Atallah says: “What is required is not a direct confrontation with this violent Israeli storm, but rather adherence to the Palestinian presence on the ground as a basic priority.”

Atallah stresses that preserving this presence is the greatest achievement, and any ill-considered adventure could lead to a threat to the Palestinian entity as a whole.

Atallah stresses the importance of working with a cool and calm mind to overcome this sensitive stage, in which the Israeli government seeks to impose a fait accompli through annexation and displacement projects.

Atallah believes that the Palestinians need a cohesive national strategy that aims to strengthen their steadfastness and resist Israeli plans using smart and thoughtful methods that ensure their survival on their land and the protection of their national rights.

Green light to commit more crimes

Abdullah Abu Rahma, Director General of the Popular Action Department in the Palestinian Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, warns of the danger of Netanyahu and Smotrich’s statements regarding offensive and defensive plans in the West Bank, stressing that they represent a green light for the occupation forces and settlers to commit more crimes and violence against the Palestinians.

Abu Rahma explains that these statements come in a political and security context that has disastrous repercussions on the lives of Palestinians, as they contribute to the escalation of raids and attacks in all areas of the West Bank.

Abu Rahma believes that what happened in the areas of Tubas, Tamoun, and Al-Far’a refugee camp after the shooting in the village of Al-Funduq, east of Qalqilya, or the settlers’ attack and the closure of roads and checkpoints, is an example of the extent of the expected escalation.

Abu Rahma points out that the West Bank recorded the highest rates of violations during the year 2024 since the beginning of the occupation, as 16,612 attacks and violations were documented by the army and settlers, including raids and attacks on Palestinian villages and Bedouin communities, all of which took place without deterrence, which means that these attacks are being reinforced.

He points to the statements of the head of the West Bank settlement council, Yossi Dagan, in which he called for the construction of a settlement for every Israeli killed following the shooting in the village of Al-Funduq, east of Qalqilya, as this call embodies an expansionist settlement policy aimed at complete control over the Palestinian territories.

Abu Rahma asserts that Smotrich's statements threatening to turn the cities of Nablus and Jenin into a "new Jabalia" reflect the criminal mentality of the occupation, pointing out that the complete destruction that the Nur Shams and Tulkarm camps recently witnessed is an example of the scenarios that the occupation seeks to repeat in the West Bank, perhaps in a more brutal manner.

Large-scale invasions similar to what happened in 2002

Abu Rahma warns that the Israeli escalation may take the form of large-scale invasions similar to what happened in 2002, noting that the occupation is seeking to find justifications to destroy Palestinian institutions and target the Palestinian presence in the West Bank.

He stresses that the Israeli plans aim to create an environment that repels Palestinians by tightening the noose on them, by closing roads, increasing barriers, and targeting their sources of livelihood.

Abu Rahma points out that the occupation may not resort to the public displacement of Palestinians, but it creates harsh conditions that push Palestinians to voluntarily emigrate.

In light of these challenges, Abu Rahma stresses that the internal Palestinian situation does not rise to the level of danger that threatens the existence of Palestinians in all places where they are located, which requires unifying Palestinian efforts and raising the level of national action to confront the Israeli plans that target the Palestinian existence.

Abu Rahma calls for activating popular protection committees to confront settler attacks, pointing out that settlers have exploited the absence of deterrence and their crimes have escalated in recent years.

Abu Rahma stresses the necessity of developing a comprehensive national plan to confront the occupation’s attacks at all levels, emphasizing the importance of popular action to confront these crimes through demonstrations and activities that raise the voice of the Palestinians before the world.

He stresses the importance of international efforts to hold the leaders of the occupation and settlers accountable for their crimes. He also stresses the need to pressure the international community to implement its decisions, impose deterrent sanctions on the occupation system, and prosecute the Israeli perpetrators of crimes, whether they are soldiers, settlers, or politicians, before international courts.

Abu Rahma points out that the statements of the occupation leaders, such as Netanyahu and Smotrich, contain explicit calls to commit war crimes, and these statements must be part of the condemnation files submitted to international courts.

Abu Rahma points out that the legal prosecutions we have recently witnessed against Israeli soldiers in some countries should be extended to include politicians and settlers responsible for crimes in the Palestinian territories.

Abu Rahma stressed that the next stage requires a comprehensive national mobilization to confront the occupation's policies, pointing out that confronting the Israeli attacks requires unity of the Palestinian ranks and intensification of popular and diplomatic efforts to confront the challenges that threaten the Palestinian existence.

Abu Rahma stressed that the Palestinian people have proven their steadfastness in the face of Israeli plans, and will not allow a repetition of the 1948 Nakba, calling for the activation of popular resistance and the defense of the land and existence by all possible means.

Transcending the security dimension to achieve long-term strategic goals

Writer and political researcher Dr. Tamara Haddad believes that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans, which he referred to as offensive and defensive, go beyond the security dimension to achieve long-term strategic goals.

According to Haddad, Israel seeks to achieve comprehensive control over land and resources in the West Bank, which falls within Israeli plans to strengthen regional hegemony and implement expansionist agendas targeting the Palestinian cause.

Haddad explains that the offensive plans adopted by Israel aim to achieve a long-term strategic advantage, based on controlling land and resources in the West Bank, while the defensive plans carry a propaganda message to the world, in which Israel claims that it is protecting its citizens from what it calls “Palestinian terrorism.”

Haddad points out that Israel uses various military means and strategies to justify preventing any offensive action from the West Bank, exploiting individual Palestinian operations as a pretext for escalation.

Haddad points out that Israel is exploiting the recent individual Palestinian operations, investing them as a pretext to achieve its major goals, the most important of which is complete control over the West Bank.

In this context, Haddad refers to the threats of Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich to turn Nablus and Jenin into areas similar to Jabalia in Gaza, stressing that these threats reflect Israel's intention to use a scorched earth policy, including the destruction of homes and the displacement of Palestinian residents.

Haddad warns that areas such as Nablus and Jenin could witness large-scale internal displacement if Israeli military operations continue there, as these policies could force residents to leave the camps, either under pressure from aerial bombardment, in parallel with strict security measures that include imposing checkpoints and tightening the noose on the daily lives of Palestinians in various areas of the West Bank.

Haddad confirms that there is a plan on the agenda of the right-wing Israeli government that aims to gradually and officially annex Area C in the West Bank, as Israel is waiting for Trump to return to the White House to officially announce the annexation.

However, Haddad points out, Israel is currently working to impose a fait accompli in the West Bank, exploiting individual Palestinian operations to justify its expansionist policies before the international community, and to reinforce its narrative that the West Bank contains terrorist movements that threaten Israeli national security.

She believes that Israel is following a strategy to gradually weaken the Palestinian Authority, either by weakening it in terms of security and economy, or by creating a political vacuum that leads to its collapse.

The ultimate goal, according to Haddad, is to impose direct Israeli military rule over the West Bank, allowing Israel to implement its security and political policies unhindered.

Haddad touched on what she described as the Israeli ideological project, which considers the West Bank a strategic center in the Zionist narrative about controlling the land.

Haddad refers to Smotrich's statements in which he declared that 2025 would be "the year of decision in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict," by ending any form of Palestinian resistance in the West Bank, and imposing forced displacement on the Palestinian population.

Intensifying the policy of demolishing houses and preventing the entry of workers

Haddad expects that Israel will intensify its policy of demolishing homes in the West Bank, in parallel with preventing the entry of Palestinian workers into the interior, as part of a comprehensive plan aimed at reducing the Palestinian presence in the region by turning Palestinian life into hell. These measures will lead to an escalation of forced displacement, which threatens a large-scale demographic change in the West Bank.

Haddad calls on the Palestinian Authority to activate its diplomatic tools to confront the annexation plans, stressing the importance of communicating with countries that recognize the State of Palestine and believe in the two-state solution, to pressure Israel to stop its expansionist policies, in addition to the need to exploit relations with countries seeking normalization with Israel to pressure the United States and urge it to prevent the implementation of the annexation plans.

Haddad stresses that international organizations play a pivotal role in confronting Israel's policies, stressing the importance of working to enhance international support for the Palestinian cause and intensifying efforts to mitigate the severity of Israeli policies, whether through political pressure or humanitarian support for the Palestinian population in threatened areas.

Haddad warns of the danger of the next stage, as Israel moves towards strengthening its security and political sovereignty over the West Bank, bypassing Area C. The continuation of military operations and annexation policies will increase the suffering of the Palestinians and threaten to weaken the unified Palestinian position, in light of the absence of a comprehensive strategic vision to confront this existential challenge.

Netanyahu and Smotrich's statements reflect official policy

Writer, political analyst and specialist in Israeli affairs, Nihad Abu Ghosh, confirms that Netanyahu and Smotrich’s statements after the shooting attack in the village of Al-Funduq, east of Qalqilya, although they were made in an emotional context, are completely consistent with the political program that the Israeli government, led by Netanyahu, seeks to implement.

Abu Ghosh believes that these statements calling for the destruction of Nablus and Jenin and the punishment of the entire Palestinian people reflect the official Israeli policy that has been going on for many years, and which witnessed a noticeable escalation during the last war on the Gaza Strip.

Abu Ghosh explains that what is happening is a consistent implementation of the Israeli far-right program that aims to displace the Palestinian people and deprive them of their political, civil and human rights.

Abu Ghosh points out that these policies aim to reduce Palestinian national rights to the mere right to survive, within a limited framework of basic rights.

Abu Ghosh stresses that these statements are not just words uttered to vent anger, but rather they are a bad omen and a prelude to new rounds of violence and escalation against the Palestinian people, aiming to implement the projects of the extreme right to control the Palestinian territories, displace the population, and reduce their national rights.

Abu Ghosh stresses that the occupation is working through an integrated system that includes the army, security services, and settlers to achieve this goal.

Abu Ghosh points out that the entire Palestinian people, including their lands, freedom, movement, and even their institutions, are targeted by these policies.

Abu Ghosh stresses that Smotrich and Netanyahu's threats require a comprehensive national response to confront them, as the occupation does not target a specific faction or segment, but rather seeks to weaken all aspects of the Palestinian presence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Abu Ghosh calls for putting political differences aside and uniting on a comprehensive national emergency program aimed at protecting the Palestinian people in the face of Israeli plans, as this program must have clear addresses in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

He points out that this program in Gaza should focus on relief and protecting the existence of the Palestinian people and the integrity of their lands, while strengthening the unity of Palestinian institutions. As for the West Bank, the main title of this program should be protecting the land and confronting the accelerating settlement and creeping annexation projects, and the necessity of confronting the occupation’s attempts to blackmail the role of the Palestinian Authority.

Abu Ghosh stresses that confronting these challenges requires implementing the decisions previously taken by the Palestinian leadership in the Central Council and the National Council, as well as implementing the outcomes of the national dialogue sessions, especially those held in Beijing, which called for the formation of a unified national leadership body, or what was called the “Committee for Activating and Developing the PLO,” as well as forming a national consensus government that restores respect for Palestinian unity in the face of the occupation and its plans.

Abu Ghosh stresses that the unified national leadership must assume the responsibility of protecting the people, defending the land, and strengthening the Palestinian political and legal position in all international forums, stressing that these efforts require moving away from losing bets on American and European initiatives, or betting on changes in Israel, which have proven their failure over the past three decades.

Abu Ghosh stresses that the unity of the Palestinian position is the only way to strengthen Palestinian national rights and ensure sovereignty over land and destiny, and not an attempt to prove good intentions to convince the Americans and Israelis of Palestinian rights.

Statements that carry meanings that go beyond traditional political discourse

Israeli affairs expert Fayez Abbas confirms that Netanyahu and Smotrich's statements, issued after the shooting in the village of Fonda, east of Qalqilya, carry dangerous implications that point to a violent and unprecedented escalation in the occupied West Bank.

Abbas points out that this operation angered the leaders of the settler right and the occupation government, which prompted Israeli officials to issue statements reflecting their intentions towards the people of the West Bank and its main cities.

Abbas points out that Netanyahu's statements in which he spoke about "defense and attack" carry meanings that go beyond traditional political discourse, as they mean granting the Israeli military and security leadership an open mandate to practice violence against the Palestinians in the West Bank, in a manner that may be the most severe since the beginning of the occupation.

In the same context, Abbas sees Smotrich's statements, in which he called for the destruction of the cities of Nablus and Jenin and turning them into a "new Jabalia," as an expression of an aggressive colonial mentality.

Abbas explains that Smotrich had previously called for burning the entire town of Hawara, and now he is threatening to demolish Nablus and Jenin, forgetting that the conditions in the West Bank are completely different from those in the Gaza Strip.

Abbas explains that Nablus is not "Jabalia" and Jenin is not "Beit Hanoun", referring to the complexity of the situation in the West Bank and the difficulty of the occupation implementing policies of destruction and killing similar to what is happening in Gaza.

Abbas confirms that the Israeli occupation is heading towards a new phase of escalation, especially after the events of October 7.

Abbas believes that the occupation, despite its expected escalation in the West Bank, will not be able to implement the same policies of destruction, demolition and mass killing that it is implementing in Gaza due to the difference in the field and political reality.

Abbas is urging the Palestinian leadership to exploit statements by Israeli officials about the destruction of Nablus and Jenin to file complaints with the International Criminal Court.

He stressed that these statements constitute documented material to convict the occupation leaders before the court, especially in light of the issuance of previous international arrest warrants against Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Minister of War Yoav Galant.

Abbas stresses the importance of the Palestinian leadership moving quickly to collect these statements and present them as evidence to the International Criminal Court, while calling for immediate action against the occupation leaders.

Abbas calls on the Palestinian National Authority to intensify its contacts with the international community and the United Nations, to warn them of the possibility of Israel committing new crimes against humanity in the West Bank, similar to what is happening in the Gaza Strip.