Translation by "Jerusalem" dot com - Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said today, Sunday, that the current escalation in the northern West Bank is the result of the weakness of the Palestinian Authority and its security services.

In an interview with the Hebrew website Walla Lapid, Lapid confirmed the continuation of security cooperation with the Palestinian Authority, which he said enables normal life for settlers and Palestinians, and that his government has an interest in continuing to do so.

He pointed out that the escalation in the West Bank is not supported by any Palestinian factions, despite the great efforts made by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, but in general there is no organizational work, rather they are frustrated young men, and we are dealing with them on the field level.

He said: We focus our efforts on keeping the escalation limited and confining it to those areas and seeking to reduce it, and for the holiday and the election period to pass quietly, noting that all the various Israeli agencies are working at one table and in an unprecedented way of cooperation to thwart any attacks.

Regarding a political settlement with the Palestinians, Lapid said that the Palestinian side is responsible for the current situation after it evaded 3 times from proposals for a political settlement on more than 90% of the land, the last of which was in 2014, and Israel went as far as possible, but Abu Mazen did not respond. So far on those proposals.

He added: This is not our fault, it is the fault of the endless rejection of Abu Mazen and the Palestinians, and all we must do now is pass these months in peace and try to calm the situation.

Lapid tried to refrain from answering the possibility of carrying out a large-scale military operation in the northern West Bank, pointing out that a certain policy is being pursued in coordination between the political and military echelons.