Palestine accuses Israel of dragging Mideast into violence amid tension

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – The Palestinian Authority (PA) on Monday accused Israel of seeking to drag the Middle East region into violence.

Early Monday, a number of Israeli ministers and lawmakers took part in a rally to support settlement building in the occupied West Bank. Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich were among the participants in the rally.

PA spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said Israel was seeking to drag the region into “violence and unrest” by continuing its assaults and provocations.

“The incursion of [Israeli] settler militias headed by occupation government ministers of the Palestinian land will not change the fact that this land will remain Palestinian,” he added in a statement.

The spokesman lamented US silence “that encourages the occupation to continue its crimes against our people,” calling for an immediate and swift action “to stop this craziness.”

There was no comment from the Israeli authorities on the Palestinian accusation.

Monday’s Israeli rally was staged amid rising tension across the Palestinian territories after Israeli police last week forcibly removed worshippers from inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem.

Israeli and Palestinian estimates indicate that about 650,000 settlers are living in 164 settlements and 116 outposts in the West Bank, including in occupied East Jerusalem.

Under international law, all Jewish settlements in occupied territories are considered illegal.

Israel has killed close to 100 Palestinians since the start of this year, according to Palestinian figures. Seventeen Israelis have also been killed in separate attacks during the same period.