Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for military action in the occupied West Bank and urged Israel to annex parts of Gaza and southern Lebanon.
Speaking on an Israeli news podcast, Smotrich said Israel should extend its control to the “Yellow Line” in Gaza and the Litani River in Lebanon, arguing that territorial expansion would deter future conflict.
He also called for an offensive in the West Bank to dismantle the Palestinian Authority, using the biblical term “Judea and Samaria” for the territory. Smotrich leads the Religious Zionism party, which supports annexation of the West Bank.
The Palestinian Authority condemned the remarks, describing them as a call for escalation, annexation and displacement that could undermine prospects for an independent Palestinian state.
The comments come as violence continues in the West Bank and Israel prepares for parliamentary elections scheduled for October 27. More than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements in the West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law.
