Palestine condemns Israeli minister's remarks about annexing West Bank

RAMALLAH - Palestinian authorities on Monday condemned Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's remarks about the imposition of Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank.

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for the Palestinian presidency, said in a press release that Smotrich's remarks confirmed that the Israeli government intends to finalize its plans to control the West Bank by 2025, and that it is not content with its "crimes" in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem.

Rudeineh noted that the Palestinian presidency holds Israeli authorities fully responsible for the consequences of these "dangerous policies", which are pushing the region toward a "full-scale explosion".

In a statement, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates referred to the Israeli finance minister's remarks as a direct result of international failure.

The failure to implement UN resolutions on the Palestinian issue and those calling for an end to the killings encourages Israel to continue its "crimes and violations", which aim to "eliminate" the Palestinian cause and undermine the possibility of a two-state solution, it said.

The statement called for a firm US and international response to these positions through a UN Security Council resolution granting Palestine full membership in the United Nations.

The ministry also said that imposing "deterrent" international sanctions on Israel, its leaders, settlement figures, and "terrorist" elements would be crucial in stopping Israel's "encroachment" on the rights of the Palestinian people.

Smotrich on Monday said Donald Trump's election as the next US president created an opportunity to extend Israel's sovereignty over the West Bank, according to Israeli media.