Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich launched on Monday a campaign to illegally annex three percent of the so-called Area B, in the occupied West Bank, entailing the expulsion of Palestinians and destruction of all structures in the area.

Following a recent visit to the area, which falls under Palestinian civil control and Israeli security control under the Oslo Accords, the minister described the area on his account on X as strategically vital as it will form part of the illegal Gush Etzion settlement cluster and connect the region with nearby Jerusalem.

He accused the Palestinian Authority (PA) of attempting to take over the east of the area.

אני מסיים כעת סיור ארוך בשמורה ההסכמית במדבר יהודה, במזרח גוש עציון, יש כאן אירוע מגה אסטרטגי. הרשות הפלסטינית במאמצים מרוכזים עם הרבה מאוד כסף ואנרגיה מנסה להשתלט מזרחה, לייצר רצף טריטוריאלי גם מצפון לדרום, גם ממזרח למערב ובכך בעצם לקטוע את הרצף שלנו. יש כאן גם פגיעה מאוד מאוד… pic.twitter.com/8WzcMS56Lr

— בצלאל סמוטריץ' (@bezalelsm) August 18, 2024

“The Palestinian Authority in concerted efforts with a great deal of money and energy is trying to take over the east, to create a territorial continuity from north to south, and also from east to west, thus essentially interrupting our continuity,” Smotrich wrote.

The far-right minister claimed that “there is also a very, very serious scenic damage here, in one of the most valuable and important areas in the State of Israel.”

“As I recall, about a month ago, my proposal to enforce the Wye Agreement, which mandates the protection of the agreed reserve against Palestinian construction and takeover, was approved in the political and security cabinet,” Smotrich said on X, adding: “In accordance with the decision, the authority for enforcement passed from the Palestinian Authority to the Civil Administration.”

The Finance Minister’s latest move comes following reports by the Israeli media that at the request of Smotrich, the Israeli occupation government agreed to legalize five illegal settlements in “Area B” in the occupied West Bank.

Systematic Annexation

An investigation by The Washington Post on August 15 revealed that Israel is actively redrawing the map of the West Bank by seizing Palestinian lands, expanding settlements, and demolishing villages and towns.

According to the newspaper, these actions represent “the most significant territorial changes in the West Bank in decades”, with the main goal of fragmenting the territory.

During the 19 months of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s current government, Israel has “dramatically expanded Israel’s footprint in the occupied West Bank,” the Washington Report highlighted, adding that these actions accelerate “a long-term campaign by the country’s settler movement to thwart the creation of a Palestinian state.”

‘Redrawing the West Bank’ – Washington Post Report on Israel’s Campaign to Expand Settlements

The paper said that the man behind this expansion effort is Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a “longtime settler activist who now serves as finance minister.” 

Smotrich has openly stated his ambition to prevent the division of the land and the establishment of a Palestinian state.

The Washington Post noted that about 3 million Palestinians live in the West Bank alongside more than 500,000 settlers, “whose numbers have increased by more than 15 percent during the past five years.” 

Citing data provided by Peace Now, the report stated that “Israel’s Higher Planning Council has fully approved almost 12,000 housing units in settlements in the past 19 months, compared with just over 8,000 in the prior two years.”

All Jewish settlements are illegal under international law, as recently confirmed by a ruling by the International Court of Justice last July.

(PC, MEMO)