Israel’s defense minister warns of West Bank security flare-up during Ramadan

By Zein Khalil

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has warned of a security flare-up in the occupied West Bank during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

In an internal document to the heads of the security establishment, Gallant said that an escalation in the West Bank during Ramadan could harm the goals of the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported.

The document was also addressed to the Knesset's Foreign and Security committees, Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, Mossad spy service chief Dedi Barnea, head of the Shin Bet domestic security service Ronen Bar, National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, and War Cabinet members.

Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, is scheduled to start next week.

Last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved recommendations from his far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to restrict the entry of Palestinians living in Israel and Jerusalem into the Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the Temple Mount, saying it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980, a move never recognized by the international community.

Israel has restricted access of Palestinians into the Al-Aqsa Mosque since the start of Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023 following a Hamas attack.

More than 30,600 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities, while nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio