Smotrich calls for expanding West Bank settlement policies to Israel’s north and south

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has announced plans to extend the country's "settlement revolution" established in the occupied West Bank to the northern Galilee and southern Negev regions. Smotrich believes this expansion is essential to safeguard Israel from the threats posed by the 7th of October attacks.

In response to protests in the town where demonstrators chanted "Long live Palestine," Smotrich emphasized the need for more significant changes in the Galilee and Negev. He claimed that certain forces in these regions view Israel as an enemy that must be fought.

Smotrich has been advocating for the establishment of new Jewish settlements and farms in areas where Palestinian citizens of Israel and Jewish Israelis coexist. He previously alleged that he is being targeted by the International Criminal Court and has a warrant issued for his arrest.

These statements follow recent reports that an Israeli man from Majd al-Krum was arrested on suspicion of contacting a Lebanese foreign agent.