Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with senior security officials late Thursday to evaluate the recent rise in settler violence across the West Bank, an Israeli official said Friday. The meeting comes amid increased pressure from the United States, which has warned that escalating tensions could jeopardize Washington’s Gaza peace plan endorsed by the U.N. Security Council.
According to an Israeli official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions were held behind closed doors, the security cabinet convened with representatives from the military, the Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency and police to review the growing number of attacks. The Prime Minister’s Office did not immediately comment on the meeting, though the official said further discussions are expected.
The U.S. has urged Israel to rein in settler violence to prevent disruptions to its Gaza plan, which envisions an international security force and presents a potential pathway toward an independent Palestinian state.
Netanyahu has described the perpetrators as “a handful of extremists” and has called on law enforcement to take action against those who “attempt to take the law into their own hands.” However, Palestinian communities and human rights organizations argue that the issue is far more widespread, noting that violent incidents have become a daily occurrence in parts of the West Bank.
