Haaretz: Army concerned Netanyahu escalating West Bank tensions before elections

Israeli military sources have voiced concern that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could be deliberately escalating tensions in the occupied West Bank ahead of elections, Haaretz is reporting. The report said the violence was being used to divert attention from the failures surrounding the 7 October 2023 attack. Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has questioned the government’s intentions and wants to avoid drawing the army into new crises driven by political considerations, the newspaper said. Political figures in Israel, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have openly advocated a more intense campaign in the occupied West Bank that could be used to justify military action against the Palestinian Authority. The comments by senior military officials come as Israeli settler violence against Palestinians continues to rise across the occupied territory, with Palestinians and rights groups accusing Israeli forces of providing protection or failing to intervene during attacks.