Far-right Israeli minister urges end to criticism of settler violence in West Bank

By Abdul Raouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israeli far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called Thursday for an end to domestic and international criticism of settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

"Both domestic and foreign criticisms of 'settler violence' should completely vanish from the public discourse,'' Ben-Gvir wrote on X.

He alleged that "everyone knows who is acting violently in the West Bank," indirectly accusing the Palestinians.

Ben-Gvir has been posting images and videos in recent weeks of himself distributing weapons to Israelis in the north, south and the West Bank under the pretext of "self-defense."

The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation reported Thursday that ''intelligence chiefs warned of a worsening situation in the West Bank, hinting at a potential new conflict front,'' in addition to the ongoing Gaza Strip conflict that began Oct. 7.

Over the past two weeks, the US has issued a series of statements warning that settler violence threatens to worsen the situation in the West Bank.

Also, the Israeli military has killed 165 Palestinians and detained 2,280 in the occupied West Bank since the outbreak of the conflict in Gaza.

The Israeli army has widened its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless airstrikes since the surprise offensive by the Palestinian group, Hamas, on Oct. 7.

At least 10,569 Palestinians, mostly children and women, have been killed in the Israeli attacks.

The Israeli death toll has topped 1,500, according to official figures.

*Writing by Ziad Aslan in Ankara