Return of Netanyahu to power in Israel worries Palestinians: report

Ramallah: Palestinians fear more conflicts as Benjamin Netanyahu shows signs to return to power in Israel riding on the nation's extremist right-wing coalition, Arab News reported.

The change of guard comes against the backdrop of the deaths of more than 100 Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank at the hand of Israeli forces this year.

The rise of right-wing forces in Israel, according to Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, is the natural result of the growing extremism and racism in Israeli society.

Comparing political parties in Israeli to the difference between Pepsi-Cola and Coca-Cola, he said that the Palestinian leadership always supported ties with Israeli's left-wing parties for resuming peace talks.

Ahmed Al-Deek, who is an advisor to Palestine's foreign minister for political affairs, told Arab News that Palestine will determine its position on the upcoming Israeli coalition considering its policies and stances on the Palestinian issue.

"We view with great gravity this emergence of Israeli fascism represented by Ben Gvir and Smotrich, and we consider it one of the expressions of the deep crisis that Israelis are experiencing as a result of the continuation of the occupation and the establishment of the apartheid regime in the Palestinian territories," he was quoted as saying.

Israeli lawmaker Itamar Ben-Gvir, who was banned as a youth from compulsory military service for holding extreme views, reportedly advocates deporting political opponents while calling his Arab colleagues "terrorists".

Hamas which governs Gaza holds a similar position on the changing political trends in Israel as that of Fatah of president Mahmoud Abbas.

Arab News quoted one of Hamas' officials Bassim Naiem describing the result of Israel polls as the "true face of Israel".

Only days ago reports from Gaza said Israeli forces as barged into the occupied area.

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