IDF Chief Warns Israeli Cabinet of Armed Palestinian Forces Turning Weapons Against Israel

Israeli Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi warned the cabinet in a recent meeting about a severe scenario in the West Bank where armed Palestinian forces could turn their weapons against Israel. He stated that the IDF is preparing for this possibility, known as "turning the barrels," and that the West Bank Division has already conducted drills to respond effectively. This was the first explicit public mention of this threat by Kochavi to the broader ministerial forum.

Earlier, Kochavi raised this concern during a situation assessment with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, linking a potential escalation to violent incidents by Jewish settlers in the area. The warning follows intelligence assessments indicating that approximately 60,000 armed Palestinians, equipped with significant weaponry, are positioned centrally in the West Bank, enabling rapid access to major cities and nearby communities.

In response to rising tensions and the upcoming holiday period, Kochavi ordered an increase in troop deployments in the West Bank, including raising the readiness of an additional regular division and preparing immediate activation of units and battalions for reinforcement. Concurrently, Israeli security and political leadership are also heightening alert levels along the Gaza Strip, despite U.S. demands to limit IDF operations there.

These developments come amid security officials' concerns that Israel has lost the ability to accurately assess the size and armament of Palestinian forces, with one senior official warning that if the "turning the barrels" scenario occurs, it would escalate beyond an intifada into full-scale war.