Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the U.S. Independence Day reception in Jerusalem on August 13.
Israeli security officials last week warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the potential for “serious escalation” in the occupied West Bank due to the government’s policies there, two Israeli officials briefed on the discussions told CNN.
On Thursday evening, Netanyahu convened an internal meeting with top cabinet ministers and senior security officials to discuss the situation in the West Bank ahead of the anticipated wave of Palestinian statehood recognition at the UN General Assembly this month and potential Israeli responses to it.
According to the two Israeli officials, the security assessment presented to the ministers included a warning about a potential flare-up of violence in the West Bank in the upcoming weeks.
One of the officials said the combination of looming Palestinian statehood developments, with Israeli declarations about possible West Bank annexation in retaliation, amid the deteriorating economic conditions in the Palestinian Authority, “could lead to a serious escalation of the security situation in the West Bank”.
