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Source: https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/20918/iran-hamas-west-bank
Iran's New Plan: Lost Gaza, So Take West Bank
(Gatestone Institute) Khaled Abu Toameh - The Palestinian Authority has condemned Israel for initiating a large-scale military operation in the northern West Bank. Israel's counterterrorism operation targets numerous Iran-backed armed terrorist groups, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, that have been operating freely in PA-controlled territories. The main objective of Israel's operation is to thwart Iran's intention to turn not only Gaza, but also the West Bank, into another terror base as part of the Islamists' Jihad (holy war) to destroy Israel. The PA should applaud Israel's security forces for pursuing the terrorists, rather than criticizing them. These armed groups pose a direct threat not only to Israel, but the PA as well. The gunmen have created their own state within a state in the areas under PA administration, openly contesting the PA's legitimacy and making a mockery of its security forces. The PA is reluctant to crack down on these groups because PA officials are aware that the terrorists enjoy widespread support among the Palestinian public. The Israeli military operation in the northern West Bank could have been avoided, had the PA fulfilled its duty of combating terrorism by dismantling the armed groups. Many Israeli and Palestinian lives could have been spared had the PA done its job and taken action against the gunmen. The writer, a veteran Israeli journalist, is a senior fellow at the Gatestone Institute and the Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs.