Israel's far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has instructed his department to prepare for the annexation of settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Smotrich, responsible for the settlements, aims to apply full Israeli law in these areas, a move that has drawn swift condemnation from the Palestinian Authority.
The Palestinian Authority criticized Smotrich's comments as a colonial and racist extension of the ongoing campaign against the Palestinian people. The spokesperson for the Palestinian Authority's presidency expressed concern over Israel's intentions to take control of the West Bank by 2025, holding both Israeli authorities and the US administration responsible for allowing such actions.
