JERUSALEM/Anadolu

A senior Israeli army commander warned of the danger of escalating settler attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, stressing that 'Jewish terrorism threatens everyone's security.'

The Broadcasting Authority reported Sunday evening that Israeli army Central District Commander Avi Blot 'warned of the danger of Jewish terrorism,' according to recordings from a closed conference held last week.

It added that Blot 'strongly criticized the phenomenon of illegal settlement outposts and acts of violence carried out by Jewish youth in the West Bank, warning that these practices constitute a dangerous phenomenon threatening everyone's security.'

Speaking about settlers who carry out attacks on Palestinians, he said: 'We are talking about young people, some of whom do not respect the law, while others take the law into their own hands, or reject the authority of official state bodies,' according to the authority.

He noted that there are settlers establishing outposts in areas classified as 'A' and 'B' in the West Bank.

Under the Oslo Accords between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, Area 'A' is under full Palestinian control, while Area 'B' is under Palestinian civil control and Israeli security control.

This comes at a time when Benjamin Netanyahu's government is intensifying settlement in Area 'C,' which constitutes 60 percent of the West Bank's area and is under full Israeli control.

The Broadcasting Authority said Blot's statements come amid field tensions, with illegal settlement outposts being established in Areas 'A' and 'B,' alongside farms approved by the Israeli army in Area 'C,' amid calls from Knesset members to cancel the Oslo Accords.

Blot did not oppose Israeli settlement farms, but said they should be established in Area 'C.'

He pointed to 'the limited tools available to confront national crime and Jewish terrorism,' following Defense Minister Israel Katz's decision to stop using administrative detention against Jews.

Blot warned that settler violence 'harms Israel's international legitimacy and drains the time and effort of field forces and unit commanders, including soldiers and reserve commanders.'

In recent years, violent attacks by settlers in the West Bank have become a daily phenomenon, without action being taken against the perpetrators.

In contrast, calls from several Western countries to the Israeli government to halt settlement and settler violence are escalating.

Several Western countries, including the Netherlands and Spain, have previously decided in recent months to ban National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering their territories for supporting settler attacks.

According to official Palestinian data, the escalation of Israeli army and settler attacks in the West Bank since October 2023 has resulted in 1,181 Palestinians killed, about 13,000 injured, and nearly 24,000 Palestinians arrested.