End game: What’s Israel’s plan in the occupied West Bank?
Al Jazeera
Israel continues to expand settlements, with many politicians open about their desire to stop a Palestinian state.
In the occupied West Bank, the war on Gaza has provided cover for continued Israeli violence and expansion.
On Wednesday, Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced new plans to expand settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, ignoring international law and the International Court of Justice’s recent ruling that Israel’s continued presence there is unlawful.
“No anti-Israel or anti-Zionist decision will stop the development of the settlement,” Smotrich, who leads the Religious Zionist Party and is himself a settler, said.
“We will continue to fight against the dangerous idea of a Palestinian state. This is the mission of my life,” he continued on the same day that the Israeli military raided the West Bank cities of Hebron and Nablus.
In addition, Israel has been expanding illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, despite repeated international condemnation.