Palestinian Authority calls for “urgent action” before Israel’s “crimes”

Ramallah, 24 oout 2016 – The Palestinian Authority today called for an “urgent international action” in the face of Israel’s “crimes” in the occupied West Bank, namely the forced displacement of Hebron’s inhabitants following the deadly attack of the day before on Israeli soldiers.

“ In view of the growing threats of displacement of populations and destruction, urgent international action is needed that goes beyond condemnation,” the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement calling for “concrete and dissuasive measures”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he holds a “great surprise” for the Palestinian Authority after ordering a large-scale military operation in the occupied West Bank following a lethal attack on Friday.

On Friday night, on channel I24 — in the middle of the campaign for Tuesday’s legislative elections — the Prime Minister avoided answering a question about a possible intention to dismantle the Palestinian Authority, declaring himself in favour of “stunning and surprise”.

“ We've transformed the Middle East. I said we would change things, and we did it,” said the leader, whose political survival is at stake in these parliamentary elections.

Without further details, Netanyahu added: “There is a very big surprise waiting for the Palestinian Authority too.”.

On Friday, after the attack by two armed men — who killed two Israeli soldiers near Hebron, in the occupied West Bank, before being shot down — the far-right allies defended the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority. However, there is no indication that it will bind her to the attack.

Established by the Oslo Agreements in the 1990s, the Palestinian Authority partially administers the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967 and remains the official interlocutor of the international community, even after Hamas took power in Gaza in 2007.

Benjamin Netanyahu opposes the creation of a Palestinian state, as well as his main opponent in Tuesday's election, centrist Gadi Eisenkot.