Israel sees surge in Iran weapons smuggling to West Bank via Jordan
With its proxies in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria all but paralyzed, Iran is encouraging a Palestinian uprising against Israel in the West Bank.
TEL AVIV — Israel has seen a dramatic increase in Iran's efforts to provide Palestinian groups in the West Bank with weapons, explosives and bomb-making support.
A senior Israeli military source spoke to Al-Monitor on Monday evening as troops were conducting a sweep in the northern West Bank for two Palestinians suspected of killing three Israelis in a shooting attack on two cars and a bus earlier in the day.
The source said, “The Iranians were defeated in Syria, Lebanon and Gaza, so they are now sneaking in from Jordan. This worries not only us, but also the Jordanians and the Saudis and Israel's other partners in the region."
Intelligence shows a significant increase in Iran's efforts in Israel’s backyard, both in neighboring Jordan and in the Israeli-controlled West Bank. In addition to the threat this activity poses to Israel and Israelis, it also risks destabilizing Jordan. Jordanian officials have publicly denied these reports.
