U.S. protection chief Lloyd Austin expressed concern about Israeli settler violence in opposition to Palestinians, as he warned in opposition to acts for probably escalating insecurity within the area.
Austin held talks in Tel Aviv as Israeli troops killed three suspected Palestinians within the Israeli-occupied West Bank and protesters rallied in opposition to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hard-right authorities.
“I’m here as a friend who’s deeply committed to the security of the State of Israel, but the United States also remains firmly opposed to any acts that could trigger more insecurity, including settlement expansion and inflammatory rhetoric,” mentioned Austin.
“We are especially disturbed by violence by settlers against Palestinians, so we’ll continue to oppose actions that could push a two-state solution further out of reach,” he informed a joint news convention with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant.
Thousands of Israelis against the Netanyahu authorities’s authorized reform plans had blocked roads in and round Ben Gurion airport, close to Tel Aviv, forcing a last-minute change of venue for Austin’s talks.
And simply hours earlier than Austin’s arrival in Israel, undercover brokers of Israel’s border police shot lifeless three Palestinians within the West Bank.
The Palestinian well being ministry introduced the “martyrdom” of three males shot by Israeli forces in Jaba, close to the northern metropolis of Jenin.
“We had a very frank and candid discussion among friends about the need to de-escalate, to lower tensions and restore calm, especially before the holidays of Passover and Ramadan,” Austin mentioned.
He additionally known as on the “Palestinian leadership to combat terrorism, resume security cooperation, and condemn incitement.”
‘Common agenda’
In a gathering with Austin held at Ben Gurion Airport, Netanyahu mentioned Israel and the U.S. had a “common agenda to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.”
Austin responded, “You’ve heard us repeatedly say that we are committed to the security of Israel.”
Their talks got here forward of Netanyahu’s departure for Rome, which protesters had sought to impede utilizing their autos to dam entry roads.
Smaller demonstrations have been going down at varied areas across the nation, forcing Netanyahu to journey to the airport by helicopter as a substitute of a automotive.
Nine straight weeks of protests have been held by opponents of the reform plans, which might give politicians better energy over the courts. They have drawn tens of hundreds of demonstrators who regard the proposals as threatening democracy.
The mounting violence within the West Bank has coincided with the tenure of Netanyahu’s coalition authorities, which took workplace in December and is considered essentially the most right-wing in Israeli historical past.
In the morning, the Palestinian well being ministry introduced the “martyrdom” of three males shot by Israeli forces in Jaba, close to the northern metropolis of Jenin.
The ministry recognized the lifeless males as Sufyan Fakhoury, 26, Ahmed Fashafsha, 22, and Nayef Malaysha, 25. It didn’t present additional particulars.
A Tuesday raid by the Israeli navy in Jenin left seven Palestinians lifeless, together with a member of Hamas accused of killing two Israeli settlers final month.
U.N. Middle East peace envoy Tor Wennesland known as on Israel and the Palestinians Wednesday “to observe calm and restraint,” saying the “cycle of violence … must be stopped immediately.”
The Palestinian well being ministry recognized the seventh fatality from Tuesday’s raid as Walid Nassar, 14.
Some observers worry additional violence, notably round Jerusalem’s holy websites in the course of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which begins in late March, and the Jewish vacation of Passover in April.
Since the beginning of the yr, the battle has claimed the lives of 75 Palestinian adults and youngsters, together with militants and civilians.
Thirteen Israeli adults and youngsters, together with members of the safety forces and civilians, and one Ukrainian civilian have been killed over the identical interval, in line with an Agence France-Presse – (AFP) tally based mostly on official sources from each side.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
