Netanyahu seeks ‘explosion’ of situation in al-Quds to save career: PA

The Palestinian Authority (PA) says the Israeli regime’s embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to renew tensions in the holy occupied city of al-Quds as means of conjuring up an excuse to save his demising career.

The PA’s foreign ministry made the remarks in a statement on Sunday as the regime has renewed its attacks on Palestinians in the city, including its holy sites, Turkey’s official Anadolu news agency reported.

Tensions are flaring up as the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory of the West Bank -- the PA’s base where the city is located -- has barely put behind a huge similarly Tel Aviv-provoked escalation that led to the death of scores of Palestinians.

The ink has also hardly dried at the bottom of a ceasefire deal that ended a 12-day war by the regime against the nearby Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip. The war martyred hundreds of Palestinians.

The PA ministry said the Israeli regime’s firebrand premier Netanyahu is again trying to open the floodgates of violence against the Palestinians through “explosion” of the situation in order to prevent formation of a so-called Israeli political coalition of “change” that strongly threatens to oust him from power.

Earlier, Israeli opposition politician Yair Lapid announced formation of the coalition alongside many of his allies from the anti-Netanyahu camp in Knesset (the Israeli parliament) to end Netanyahu’s 12-year run on premiership.

Netanyahu is trying to "thwart” the formation of such a political structure “by blowing up the situation in al-Quds and escalating the aggression against its holy sites and citizens," the statement said.

The ministry suggested that fresh tensions could sustain Netanyahu’s political career by prompting a strong response on the part of the Palestinians.

The prime minister has been holding onto the office by repeatedly warning the Israeli public that if he were to be ousted, the regime would be left vulnerable in the face of Palestinians’ retaliation to its incitements.

The Palestinian ministry also warned against “undermining international and regional efforts aimed at consolidating the ceasefire [in the regime’s violence against Gaza] and stopping the continuous aggression against” Palestinians.

The statement came shortly after the regime’s forces renewed their attacks on al-Quds’ Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, assaulting protesters and journalists there, and arresting a notable female activist.

Israeli forces suppress rally in Sheikh Jarrah, arrest female journo

Israeli forces crack down on rally in the holy occupied city of al-Quds’ Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, arresting Al Jazeera’s journalist.

The regime used the exactly same tactic to escalate the situation across the Palestinian lands last month.

Far-right Israeli groups have also planned a “flag march” through al-Quds’ Old City, where the al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third-holiest site is located, on Friday. The move is certain to trigger Palestinian counter-rallies.

Fatah Party that leads the Palestinian Authority has already urged Palestinians to gather for retaliatory protests to prevent extremist Israeli settlers from encroaching on the Islamic and Christian sanctities there.

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