Channel 12 reported that the Israeli National Guard intends to purchase systems that can be mounted on drones to fire tear gas at Palestinians in the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, as part of preparations for the month of Ramadan, which begins at the end of this week.
The “National Guard” is a security force formed by the extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and is “a militia under his control,” according to the Israeli opposition.
The Hebrew channel explained that "as part of the Israeli National Guard's preparations for the month of Ramadan, the police tender committee approved the purchase of three systems for dropping tear gas capsules from drones," noting that the contract, valued at approximately $49,000, was approved.
According to the channel, the discussion revolves around three "surprise egg" systems, which are mounted on "Matrix" drones designed to drop tear gas capsules from the air to disperse demonstrations. It noted that even before the deal was approved, the Israeli police already possessed 19 effective systems of this type.
The channel continued: "The contract documents defined the need for the purchase as urgent, within the framework of operational preparations for expected events during the month of Ramadan
On Tuesday, the same channel revealed in a previous report that the Israeli occupation army decided to reinforce its forces in the occupied West Bank, including the commando brigade, during the month of Ramadan.
The channel added at the time: "The army decided to reinforce Judea and Samaria (the biblical name for the West Bank) with additional forces, exceeding the 22 battalions currently deployed in routine security operations there."
She explained that, in addition to the commando brigade, several additional companies will arrive to assist at the crossings in preparation for the entry of thousands of worshippers into the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem.
She said that "the Israeli army recommended to Defense Minister Yisrael Katz to allow 10,000 worshippers to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque every Friday," adding: "The army also recommends approving the entry of men over the age of 55 or women over the age of 50."
On Friday, Sheikh Akrama Sabri, the preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque, expressed his regret over Israel's decision to restrict access to the mosque for worshippers during the month of Ramadan, which begins next week, warning that the extremist government is "implementing an aggressive plan against Al-Aqsa."
Every year during Ramadan, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from the West Bank flock to East Jerusalem to perform prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is reflected in the atmosphere of the city, as the mosque is filled with worshippers, while commercial activity is active in its markets.
However, since the outbreak of the war of extermination in Gaza on October 7, 2023, the Israeli authorities have imposed severe restrictions on the passage of West Bank residents through military checkpoints leading to Jerusalem.
Over the past two years, authorities have allowed only limited numbers to enter after obtaining permits from the Israeli army, which are difficult for Palestinians to obtain.
Israeli attacks
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture documented the uprooting and destruction of 777 trees in various areas of the occupied West Bank, as a result of Israeli attacks during the week, with losses exceeding $761,000.
The ministry said in a report published on Saturday via the “X” platform that the period between February 5-11 witnessed a significant escalation in the pace of Israeli violations against the agricultural sector in the West Bank governorates.
She explained that this escalation was represented in bulldozing and demolition operations of agricultural infrastructure, sabotage of water sources, and widespread attacks on fruit trees, in addition to settler attacks that affected crops and agricultural properties and prevented farmers from accessing their lands.
The ministry indicated that its teams documented the uprooting and destruction of 777 trees, most of them olive trees, while the governorates of Hebron (south) and Nablus (north) suffered the greatest share of the damage.
According to the report, the total value of losses due to attacks during the aforementioned period exceeded $761,000.
The ministry stated that these attacks come within the context of "accelerated policies aimed at undermining the foundations of Palestinian agricultural resilience, by depleting productive resources and weakening the ability to invest in the land, especially in areas classified as (C), through administrative and legal tools that include orders to stop construction and demolition and prevent reclamation."
The Oslo II Agreement (1995) classified the West Bank into three areas: Area A, under full Palestinian control; Area B, under Israeli security control and Palestinian civil and administrative control; and Area C, under Israeli civil, administrative, and security control. The latter constitutes about 60% of the West Bank area, and Palestinians are prohibited from making any changes in it without Israeli authorization, which is almost impossible to obtain.
The Israeli occupation army and settlers carried out a total of 1,872 attacks during the month of January, according to a report by the Palestinian government’s Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, published on February 3.
The commission explained that "the occupation army carried out 1,404 attacks, while the settlers carried out 468 attacks."
Since launching its war of extermination on the Gaza Strip on October 8, 2023, Israel has intensified its attacks in the West Bank, including killing, arrests, displacement, and settlement expansion, in a course that Palestinians see as paving the way for the formal annexation of the West Bank.
The attacks in the West Bank resulted in the martyrdom of at least 1,112 Palestinians, and about 11,500 injuries, in addition to the arrest of about 22,000.
