“Situation in the West Bank Is Extremely Dangerous,” Palestinian Foreign Minister Warns
Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian described the current situation in the West Bank as extremely dangerous, stating that the rampant settler violence sweeping the territory is not random but part of a deliberate Israeli policy aimed at tightening control and pushing Palestinians toward a breaking point.
Aghabekian: Netanyahu’s Government Is “Fascist” and Uses Settlers to Control the West Bank
The Palestinian top diplomat accused the Netanyahu government of pursuing what she called a fascist agenda, saying settlers are being deployed as a tool to expand Israeli control over the West Bank, while Palestinian blood is being exploited as a political card in Israel’s internal elections.
“Our Existence Is Threatened” — Foreign Minister Calls for an Active International Peace Council in Gaza
Aghabekian warned that the existence of the Palestinian people is under direct threat, describing Israel’s actions as a form of terrorism against Palestinians, and stressed that Israel will not halt its violations unless it is made to feel a genuine price for its actions. She also called for the international peace council to play an active, effective role in the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian delivered a stark warning about the deteriorating situation in the occupied West Bank, describing conditions there as extremely dangerous and accusing Israel of deliberately allowing settler violence to spiral out of control as part of a calculated political strategy.
In her remarks, Aghabekian said the surge in settler attacks across Palestinian towns and villages is not a spontaneous phenomenon but rather a component of a premeditated Israeli policy designed to tighten the occupation’s grip on the West Bank and reshape realities on the ground. She argued that the Netanyahu government has taken on an increasingly extremist, “fascist” character, actively using settlers as an instrument of control and expansion throughout Palestinian territory.
The foreign minister went further, asserting that Palestinian lives and casualties are being cynically exploited as a political tool within Israel’s domestic election battles, with escalation on the ground often timed to serve internal political calculations rather than security needs.
Aghabekian warned that Israel appears intent on pushing Palestinians toward a breaking point, describing the cumulative pressure of settler violence, land seizures, and military measures as an existential threat to the Palestinian people’s very presence in their land. She characterized Israel’s ongoing actions against Palestinians as a form of state terrorism, stressing that the international community’s passivity has allowed these practices to continue unchecked.
Crucially, the Palestinian foreign minister argued that Israel will not curb its violations and aggressive settlement practices unless it is made to bear a real and tangible cost for its actions — whether through diplomatic, economic, or political pressure from the international community.
On Gaza, Aghabekian called for the international peace council overseeing post-war arrangements to take on a genuinely active and effective role in the Gaza Strip, rather than remaining a largely symbolic body, in order to help stabilize the situation and support Palestinian civilians in the territory.