Katz announces new settlements in West Bank in response to terrorism

Katz announces new settlements in West Bank in response to terrorism

Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz announced the establishment of a Jewish state in West Bank. Katz described this decision as a "decisive answer to terrorist organizations" that want to weaken control over Israel. His statements are also aimed directly at France's President Emmanuel Macron and other international intermediaries, with a clear message: a Palestinian state will only exist on paper, while Israel will underpin his claim to the West Bank, reports the Kleine Zeitung .

The Israeli government also plans to build 22 new settlements in the West Bank. This measure could significantly endanger the prospect of future peace. While Katz emphasized in his speech that Israel is not impressed by the calls to create a Palestinian state, the two-state solution is also being worked on at an international conference, which is initiated by France and Saudi Arabia in mid-June.

international reactions and the Gaza Strip

Macron has stated that the creation of a Palestinian state under certain conditions is a "moral duty" and political necessity. He demands a harder attitude of the European Union and western sanctions against Israel if the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip should not improve. This region continues to suffer from the consequences of the major attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023, which led to massive military operations in the Israeli army, as the n-tv.de reported.

The Gaza strip is also confronted with the heaviest humanitarian crisis: According to the UN spokes, the entire population is threatened with hunger. Although Israel has approved the truck transport of auxiliary goods after international pressure, only 600 out of 900 invited trucks have arrived in the Gaza Strip, and the distribution of the relief goods is extremely difficult due to the tense location.

historical context of the conflict

The conflict between Israel and the Palestinians has deeper, historical roots. On October 7, 2023, Hamas committed an attack in which around 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken as hostages. This was perceived as a pogrom in Israel and has revived the collective trauma from the time of the Holocaust. Since then, the Israeli government has decided to drastically reduce the military capacities of Hamas and to free the hostages.

The war has devastating effects on the Palestinian civilian population. By May 2024, an estimated 36,000 Palestinians were killed, while over 80,000 were injured, many of them were civilians. Around 1.7 million people became internal refugees, which further tightened the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. The global community observes the developments, while the likelihood for a de -escalation drops.

The unsustainable situation and the deeply rooted lines of conflict still make the view of peace between Israel and the Palestinians questionable. However, there are international efforts to improve the humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip and to prevent the escalation of violence.