Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich calls for war in occupied West Bank

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich told Ynet News that Israel should "go to war in Judea and Samaria" — a biblical term he used for the occupied West Bank — and carry out operations there similar to those conducted in Gaza. He said Israel should dismantle the Palestinian Authority, which he described as a "terror authority," and remove what he called terror infrastructure, including weapons and tunnels.

The remarks were made as Israeli authorities imposed a week-long, comprehensive military closure across the occupied West Bank for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, with the heightened movement restrictions due to remain in place until October 3. The closure coincides with rising tensions across the territory and has drawn attention from Palestinian officials and rights groups.

United Nations OCHA data cited in reporting shows more than 1,330 settler-related attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank from January to late July, an average of about six incidents per day and the highest rate in roughly two decades. Human rights groups and experts have reported that some settler groups operate with support or protection from Israeli soldiers and that attacks have included shootings, sieges of homes and other communal violence. Observers have said some settlers appear increasingly armed with military-issued equipment and sometimes wear military-style uniforms during attacks.

In response to Smotrich's comments, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates issued a statement linking the remarks to broader Israeli government policies it described as involving killings, displacement, settlement expansion, land confiscation and attempts at annexation by force. The ministry warned that ongoing international silence over inflammatory statements and policies risks encouraging further actions and raising regional tensions.

Separately, reporters said hundreds of Israelis entered the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Sunday under substantial police protection. Palestinian agency Wafa reported that those entering used the Moroccan Gate and performed Talmudic rituals, while Israeli forces increased restrictions around the mosque and across Jerusalem's Old City.