Israeli Violence Against Palestinians On The Rise: Palestine

Israel's violence against the Palestinians has intensified since the formation of the new Israeli government last week, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

"There is greater and more severe violence by the [Israeli] occupation forces against our people since the new Israeli government assumed its duties," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry noted that settler attacks against the Palestinians have risen under the new government, citing a series of attacks by Israeli forces and settlers in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem.

Last week, a new coalition agreement between eight Israeli parties was sworn in with Naftali Bennett, the leader of the far-right Yamina Party, leading the government for two years followed by centrist Yair Lapid for two more years.

The statement also criticized the US administration for failing to pressure Israel to stop its aggression.

"The US administration and some international parties prefer to refrain from exerting any pressure on the new Israeli government to stop its aggression and settlement building," the statement said.

The ministry also condemned plans by Israeli settlement councils to organize rallies in the occupied West Bank against what they describe as Palestinian expansion in area C, adding that Israel will take full responsibility for settler and army attacks against Palestinians.

Under the 1995 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, was divided into three portions – Area A, B, and C – with area C under administrative and security control of Israel until a final status agreement is reached with the Palestinians.

Last week, Bennett said his government will back settlement construction in all areas of the occupied West Bank, including the areas classified as C areas.

*Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar in Ankara -