Israeli security officials have warned of an escalation in the occupied West Bank due to changes to the Israeli army agreed upon as part of the formation of the new coalition government, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Thursday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed with far-right Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit parties to transfer responsibilities from the Israeli army to the heads of the two parties, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir.

The security officials reportedly said that, so far, nobody from the incoming government has updated the army or heard its officials’ positions on the government’s plans to transfer authority to far-right coalition partners.

Haaretz said security officials in the Israeli intelligence services and army believe confrontations in the West Bank will escalate in the near future.

The newly formed coalition government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn in at the Knesset on Thursday, making it the country’s most far-right government to date.

(PC, MEMO, SOCIAL)