Israeli finance minister calls for Gaza-style war in occupied West Bank

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Sunday called for launching a war in the occupied West Bank, similar to Israel's genocidal war in the Gaza Strip.

Tel Aviv "should do there (West Bank) what we did in Gaza," Smotrich told Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.

Smotrich repeated his call to dismantle the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited control over parts of the West Bank.

His remarks come amid tighter Israeli restrictions on Palestinian movement in the West Bank, including checkpoint closures and roadblocks that isolate communities and hinder access to work, homes and essential services.

Since Israel began its war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, the Israeli army and occupiers have stepped up attacks in the West Bank, killing over 1,206 Palestinians, injuring more than 13,300 and arresting nearly 26,000, according to Palestinian figures.

The attacks include demolishing homes and other structures, burning mosques, bulldozing farmland, preventing farmers from accessing their land, displacing Palestinians and expanding illegal settlements.

Nearly 74,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 175,000 others in Israel's genocidal war in Gaza since 2023. The offensive has also destroyed around %90 of the enclave's infrastructure.

Despite a ceasefire that took effect in Oct. 10, 2025, the Israeli army has continued daily attacks in Gaza, killing over 1,400 Palestinians and injuring around 5,000 others, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

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