Israel's finance minister calls for further assaults on occupied West Bank

Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is calling for the ongoing assault on the northern occupied West Bank to be expanded to the south of the territory.

“We are committed to expanding the operation in northern Samaria to the Judea region as well and to act decisively against any threat,” said Smotrich, who also oversees affairs in the West Bank as a minister in the Defense Ministry. He used the biblical names for the territory in a bid to erase Palestinian right to their own land.

"Palestinian terrorism aims to destroy the State of Israel, and the Israeli settlement in Judea and Samaria is at the forefront of the defense of the entire state," he tweeted. "Therefore, our response must be to strengthen the settlement enterprise and prevent the formation of a Palestinian state that would endanger our security and existence."

He added, "We are actively working on this, and I will soon present a strategic plan to the government to achieve these goals."