Israeli Officials Fuel Tensions in West Bank ahead of October Elections

Israeli politicians are increasingly turning to the West Bank as a stage for electoral maneuvering amid fierce competition two months before elections scheduled for October. As the campaign heats up and the government loses ground in opinion polls, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir entered a UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) compound in Qalandiya, between Jerusalem and Ramallah, accompanied by Israeli forces and media, and declared that Israel had “taken control” of the site.