Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich calls for war in occupied West Bank

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for the Israeli military to go to war in the occupied West Bank, aiming to dismantle the Palestinian Authority as was done in Gaza. He made these remarks in an interview with Ynet News amid rising security tensions and increased violence against Palestinians since October 2023. From January to July, over 1,330 settler-related attacks were recorded in the West Bank, with settlers often armed with military-issued weapons and supported by Israeli soldiers, engaging in shootings and other forms of communal violence described as pogroms.