Israeli Council Head Israel Gantz Condemns Violence in Qawzah Incident

Israel Gantz, head of the Binyamin Regional Council and chairman of the Yesha Council, condemned the recent violent actions by a small group against Palestinians in the West Bank village of Qawzah. The incident, which required intervention by Israeli security forces and drew sharp criticism from the United States, involved unauthorized construction of a hill in a private yard and attacks on both Palestinians and security personnel. Gantz stated, "These events are serious and not our way. There is no justification for violence against uninvolved individuals or security forces." He acknowledged attempts to exploit the incident for anti-settlement campaigns but emphasized that such actions are unacceptable and do not represent the settlement movement's leadership.

Gantz called for political involvement, urging the Israeli government to cancel the Oslo Accords and enable legitimate, regulated Jewish settlement across open areas in the West Bank. Earlier, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Herzog strongly condemned the siege imposed by right-wing activists on a Palestinian family home in Qawzah, describing the acts as "criminal and horrifying" and stating that the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem was deeply involved in coordinating with the IDF and Israeli police to remove the Israeli perpetrators.

Following the incident, a senior White House official planned to discuss the matter with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid American concerns over perceived Israeli security lapses. Concurrently, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir ordered reinforcement of forces in the Qawzah area with an additional infantry battalion to restore order and prevent further serious events, underscoring the military's commitment to operational control in the region.