Israel reneges on week-old pact to limit West Bank incursions
A week after promising to end incursions into four West Bank cities and allow the Palestinian Authority’s security services to assume around the clock control in those towns, the Israeli army carried out incursions and raids in Hebron, Nablus, Qalqilia, and Bethlehem and Jenin.
Last week, in a meeting with Palestinian counterparts, the Israeli army promised to end incursions into Jericho, Qalqilia, Ramallah and Bethlehem unless there was an immediate danger to Israeli interests. At the time, officials within the PA’s security establishment cast serious doubts on the seriousness of the Israeli promise, and maintained that it would do little to change the reality of occupation in the West Bank. Israel will maintain that last night’s incursions into Bethlehem and Qalqilia were necessary and therefore not a breach of the promise made to the PA.
According to Palestinian sources, at least six Palestinians were detained during the raids, three as they were driving through Hebron.
The agreement to limit military incursions in the four Palestinian towns was widely seen as a reward for the Palestinian Authority’s heavy crackdown on Hamas affiliates throughout the West Bank, the culmination of which was a series of deadly gunbattles in Qalqilia three weeks ago. The PA’s security services are currently being trained by US general Keith Dayton, who says that the Israelis are committed to handing over security control of Palestinian towns as soon as possible. However, the PA laments the Israeli-imposed limits on equipment and movement which it says makes it hard for its forces to impose security control in those towns.
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