Israel’s Smotrich calls for ‘war’ in West Bank: Rhetoric or real threat?

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, the leader of the far-right Religious Zionism party, has called for Israel to wage a "full-scale war" in the occupied West Bank, drawing a parallel to the conflict in Gaza. Smotrich made the controversial remarks in an interview with Ynet’s 120 and One political podcast, vowing to "do there what we did in Gaza" amid rising settler violence and movement restrictions across the West Bank. The call for military action comes as Israel prepares for general elections scheduled for next month.

Smotrich's remarks follow a series of stringent measures imposed by Israeli authorities, including the comprehensive closure of crossings into the West Bank for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. The closures, coupled with tightened restrictions around key cities like Ramallah, have disrupted the daily lives of Palestinians living in the territory. Local sources reported that several entrances were blocked, with residents subjected to harassment.

The Finance Minister's stance on the issue is further rooted in his broader political agenda, which aims to expand illegal Israeli settlements and assert Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank. Smotrich, who rejects the possibility of joining a unity government with rival political blocs, maintains that he remains committed to his partners in the national camp.

When questioned about Ofer Winter, a new political party's leader, Smotrich accused him of making an "irresponsible gamble" that could endanger Israel's security. Winter's party, Amcha Yisrael, dismissed Smotrich's assessment, arguing that Israel's political leadership failed to secure a decisive victory in Gaza during the recent conflict. The party emphasizes that three years after October 7, there has been no definitive victory in Gaza or a voluntary migration of Palestinians.

Smotrich's comments also highlight the deteriorating situation in the West Bank, as reflected by a recent UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) report. The report revealed that Israeli settlement outposts have encroached on areas under the Palestinian Authority's limited administrative control, expanding from Area C to Area B. The UN agency also noted that over 100,000 dunams (10,000 hectares) of land have been taken over by settlers in the West Bank, with the UN recording more than 850 injuries attributed to settler attacks since the beginning of 2026.