“In the face of the resurgence of terrorism, we are eradicating terrorist organizations throughout Judea and Samaria,” Yoav Gallant told military officials.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Wednesday, September 4, affirmed the need to use “all the force” against Palestinian armed groups in the occupied West Bank, where the Israeli army is carrying out a vast operation that has left dozens dead in a week. “In the face of the resurgence of terrorism, we are eradicating terrorist organizations throughout Judea and Samaria” (the biblical name for the West Bank used by Israelis), Yoav Gallant told military officials.
“These terrorist organizations (…) must be eradicated (…) there is no other option, we must use all force”he continued according to a statement from the Ministry of Defense. Yoav Gallant also explained that he had given the green light for airstrikes to be carried out “where necessary, so as to avoid endangering soldiers”.
The Israeli army continued on Wednesday its vast operation launched a week ago in the north of the West Bank, a Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967. At least 30 Palestinians have been killed and 140 injured since the start of the operation, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. “We mow the lawn, but the time will come when we will also pull out the roots”the Israeli Defense Minister said again, using an expression from Israeli military and security circles suggesting regular operations to weaken armed groups or prevent their strengthening.
Israeli incursions are a daily occurrence in the occupied West Bank, the scene of deadly violence that has flared up since the start of the war in Gaza in October, but rarely reaches such a scale. Since October, at least 661 Palestinians have been killed there, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, and at least 23 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed according to official Israeli data, in violence between Palestinians on the one hand, and the Israeli army and settlers on the other.
