Israeli minister plans West Bank land seizure after EU sanctions
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has presented a plan to seize strategic land across the occupied West Bank, defying new EU sanctions on Israeli settlers. Smotrich called European criticism “hypocrisy” and insisted on “strengthening settlements” in what he called “Israel’s security belt.”
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced Monday that he has submitted a plan to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to seize strategic territories in the occupied West Bank, including Areas A, B, and C. The move came shortly after EU foreign ministers agreed on a new round of sanctions targeting Israeli settlers and organisations accused of supporting illegal settlement activity.
Defiance of international law
In a post on X, Smotrich declared: “European hypocrisy knows no bounds. No one will force the State of Israel to pursue a policy of national suicide.” He called for “strengthening the settlements” and “deepening control” over what he described as “Israel’s land.” He added: “The West Bank is Israel’s security belt, and it is time to make it clear to the world that anyone who tries to weaken our control over it will face dire consequences.” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar echoed this stance, claiming settlement activity represents a “historical and moral right” for the Jewish people.
Settlement surge and Palestinian toll
According to Israeli left-wing organisation Peace Now, settlement activity has surged since Netanyahu’s government took office in late 2022. Approximately 750,000 Israeli settlers now live in the occupied West Bank, including around 250,000 in East Jerusalem. All settlements are considered illegal under international law. Since October 2023, Israeli forces and settlers have killed over 1,000 Palestinians, wounded about 12,000, and arrested nearly 22,000 in the West Bank. For Türkiye, which consistently condemns settlement expansion as a violation of international law and a barrier to peace, Smotrich’s plan represents a further provocation undermining any two-state solution.
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