Israel's military chief on Thursday said he had ordered preparations for reinforcing troops in the occupied West Bank ahead of Jewish high holidays and as violence surges in the territory. "Given the tensions in Judea and Samaria and the upcoming holiday period, I am ordering the elevation of readiness of an additional division headquarters in order to reinforce the forces in the area," Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir was quoted as saying in a military statement, using the Biblical term for the West Bank. "In addition, preparations must be made for the immediate deployment of units and battalions to reinforce the area," he added. The Israeli army “across all of its arrays, will maintain full, multi-front readiness throughout the holiday period -- there will be no reduction in operational forces." The Jewish high holiday season begins in mid-September with Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year. Israel has since 1967 occupied the West Bank, where more than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements that are illegal under international law. The territory is home to about three million Palestinians. Israeli settler violence against Palestinians has increased dramatically since the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas from the Gaza Strip. Speaking generally, Zamir said "many challenges are ahead of us". "We are advancing operational procedures across all fronts, from Iran to Lebanon to Gaza, and remain on high alert in accordance with the sensitive multi-front situation," he said.
