Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed his efforts to implement Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley, and to legalize all settlements, in a last attempt to prevent the holding of a third general election. This comes as Israeli warplanes launched a raid yesterday morning, a site belonging to the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, according to what Palestinian sources announced.
In detail, Netanyahu said during a conference organized by the right-wing newspaper, "McCour Rishon", that "the time has come to implement Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley, and to legalize all settlements in Judea and Samaria, which are in the settlement blocs, and those outside it," using biblical terms for the West Bank. He added, "It will be part of the State of Israel."
Last September, Netanyahu announced his intention to annex the Jordan Valley, which represents about a third of the occupied West Bank, if he is re-elected.
Netanyahu's comments, made yesterday, are seen as an appeal to his opponent, President Benny Gantz, to join him in forming a unity government that could benefit from the administration's support for settlement.
The September elections did not result in a clear victory.
The deadline for the Israeli parliament (Knesset) to form the government expires on Wednesday, or for the parliament to be dissolved and for a third election to be held.
"I want the American recognition of our sovereignty over the Jordan Valley, it is important," Netanyahu told the conference participants.
The Prime Minister indicated that he had recently discussed the issue with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, without presenting a formal plan.
Pompeo declared, last month, that the United States no longer considered settlements in the West Bank illegal.
The United Nations considers the settlements established on the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967 to be illegal, and a large part of the international community sees it as a major obstacle to peace.
On Friday, the US House of Representatives, who Democrats care about, demanded that any US peace plan for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict support a "two-state solution" clearly.
In previous statements, Netanyahu said that the major moves to annex or legalize settlements in the West Bank will be in coordination with US President Donald Trump, and his expected peace plan.
On the other hand, Israeli warplanes launched a raid yesterday at a Hamas site in the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian sources said that the raid targeted a number of rockets, a site belonging to the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, which resulted in material damage, but no injuries.
And websites close to Hamas reported that anti-aircraft fire was launched towards Israeli aircraft during their raids in the northern Gaza Strip.
The raids came, after Israel announced that three rocket-propelled grenades were fired from the Gaza Strip towards it, and the Iron Dome defensive system repelled them without causing any casualties.
No Palestinian entity has claimed responsibility for the missile launches.
For its part, Hamas stressed that the continued Israeli raids on the Gaza Strip represent a "dangerous and unrecognizable escalation."
The movement's spokesman, Fawzi Barhoum, said in a statement that Israel "must bear the consequences and consequences of this stupid policy that will not turn back except in the face of it."
On Saturday evening, the Al-Qassam Brigades warned of an "explosion", against the backdrop of the repeated storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Jewish groups in the east of Jerusalem.
A spokesman for the Kataeb, al-Makna Abu Ubaida, said in a statement that "what is happening in the Al-Aqsa Mosque, including attacks, provocations and dangerous practices against worshipers and its pioneers, is a precursor and a reason for an upcoming explosion in the face of the occupation, and poured oil on the fire."
Abu Ubaida added that Israel bore full responsibility for the continuation of the attacks, and that "the patience of the battalions will not be long."
On the other hand, Israeli forces arrested a Palestinian girl yesterday, allegedly for attempting to carry out a stabbing attack.
The Palestinian “Wafa” agency reported that Israeli forces arrested a 14-year-old girl in the vicinity of the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, “while she was on her way to school, under the pretext that she had a knife.”
For its part, Israeli media reported that the Border Police had "arrested a Palestinian woman" after "threatening them with a knife."
The Jerusalem Post newspaper also reported on its website yesterday that Israeli forces arrested five Palestinians during the raid in the West Bank last night.
The newspaper said that the operation was carried out by the Internal Security Forces, the border guards and the police.
Hamas: Israeli raids on Gaza escalate
"A risk that cannot be recognized."