The prospect of Benjamin Netanyahu returning to power as the leader of one of the most right-wing coalitions in Israel’s history has raised concerns among Palestinians who fear a new escalation of the conflict with the Jewish state, Reuters comments.

• “Bibi, the King of Israel”: Netanyahu builds up a grand victory in the parliamentary elections

It will be recalled that Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been in power for 12 consecutive years, which is an absolute record for Israel, is on the verge of a dramatic return to power, demanding “tremendous trust” from voters and declaring that his right-wing Camp is one step away from a resounding victory in the elections.

Tuesday’s election in Israel came amid the bloodiest violence in years between Israelis and Palestinians, who appear to be getting no closer to their goal of a functioning state. Israeli forces have killed more than 100 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank this year, and their attacks have left 20 dead in Israel and Jewish settlements.

“There is no doubt that the result of such a coalition will increase hostility towards the Palestinian people”

Palestinian officials in the West Bank and Gaza said the nationalist orientation of Netanyahu’s coalition, which includes far-right leader Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has previously proposed expelling Palestinians, has many fearing rising tensions.

“There is no doubt that the outcome of such a coalition will increase hostility towards the Palestinian people and make the occupation measures even more extreme,” said Bassam Salhe, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee in Ramallah. .

The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which has fought several wars with Israel over the past decade, says the risks of violence are high.

“It is clear that the Israelis are more inclined to extremism, which also means an increase in aggression against our people. Governments led by Netanyahu, who have launched several wars against our Palestinian people, and the presence of the most extremist figures in the coalition means that we will face more Zionist terrorism,” said Hamas spokesman Hazem Oassem.

A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declined to comment on preliminary election results, saying the Palestinian presidency, which has only limited autonomy in West Bank towns and villages, was awaiting final results.

“Personal Animus”

Negotiations between the Palestinian Authority and Israel are blocked, but the parties have had contacts this year as well. Abbas met with Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz to calm tensions and coordinate security measures. In September, the Palestinian leader hailed Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s call for a two-state solution as a “positive development.”

On the contrary, Netanyahu has long opposed the idea of ​​a Palestinian state.

Gaza-based political analyst Reham Ovda believes the peace process and the Palestinian Authority in particular have the most to lose from Netanyahu’s return, given his “personal animosity” toward Abbas and his opposition to the two-state solution.

“With Netanyahu, the slogan will be neither peace nor a two-state solution, new colonizations, and the focus will be on Iran. (…) His biggest challenge will be how to restore calm in the West Bank, confront growing Palestinian resistance and protect settlements and settlers,” she said.

Just Wednesday, the Israeli military shot dead a Palestinian suspected of a car attack at a checkpoint that left a soldier seriously injured, sources on both sides said.

Reuters also recalls the escalation of violence in Gaza in August, when at least 49 people, including 17 children, lost their lives in less than three days of fighting. Israel said it carried out pre-emptive airstrikes against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, which fired hundreds of rockets into Israeli territory.

“The Palestinian people will get nothing from this government but war, destruction, killing, bloodshed, demolition of houses, confiscation of land and the construction of new settlements at the expense of the Palestinian people,” warned Youssef Khattab, a television director from Gaza. (Sources: Reuters/Agerpres)