Shafaq News- Middle East

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Wednesday advanced plans to encourage what he described as the “migration of Palestinians” from the occupied West Bank and Gaza, framing the proposal as part of his agenda for a future term in office.

Addressing an event for his far-right Religious Zionist Party, he laid out priorities for Israel’s next cabinet, including the cancellation of the Oslo Accords signed in 1993, as well as the extension of Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank.

Last week, Israeli authorities initiated the registration and settlement of land ownership in the West Bank —the first such process since 1967. The government also authorized measures easing land purchases by Jews in the territory after repealing a previous restriction.

Tel Aviv maintained that the policy aims to “regulate property registration procedures” and resolve legal disputes as part of organizing land ownership in the area.

Referencing the International Court of Justice, António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, urged Israel to “immediately reverse” the measures, deeming them destabilizing and illegal under international law. The European Union likewise warned that annexing the West Bank would breach international law.