Bezalel Smotrich

Activists interrupted an Israeli Knesset Finance Committee meeting to protest an additional $36m allocated for settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank. The funding, approved to develop over 70 archaeological and heritage sites, raised the year's settlement budget to a record $273m. Finance Committee Chairman Hanoch Milwidsky labeled the protestors 'worse than terrorists'.

Morocco deployed 200 military officials to the International Stabilisation Force (ISF) in Gaza under Donald Trump’s peace plan, framing the mission as humanitarian but facing criticism for alleged complicity in Israel’s occupation. The move aligns with Morocco’s role in the Board of Peace (BoP) and aims to enhance its diplomatic visibility in Palestinian issues.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich states that 'complete victory' in Gaza requires the strip's resettlement. He claims there must be a 'price for the mistake, a price for the defeat' suffered by Israel's enemies.

Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for constructing three new settlements along Gaza's northern fence, urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to approve the plan. He mentioned Israelis returning to 2005-evacuated settlements and establishing additional ones in the West Bank.

Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich called for building three new settlements along Gaza's northern fence amid ongoing Israeli military operations. The proposal follows Israeli strikes in Gaza and the West Bank, with Palestinian health officials reporting recent casualties. Smotrich also mentioned plans to establish additional settlements in the West Bank.

Israeli defense minister Israel Katz claimed US warplanes used Israeli bases to attack Iran, threatening a strong Israeli response if targeted. The US and Gulf allies launched strikes on Iran without Israeli involvement, as Iran focused attacks on US interests in the Gulf. Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich described the US-led conflict as advantageous for Israel if it avoids direct participation.

A fatal gunfight occurred near Nablus in the West Bank, with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich contributing to rising tensions in the region. Settlements correspondent Jeremy Sharon analyzed the incident and its implications.

Israel announces plan to build 763 housing units in the Eli settlement in the occupied West Bank, which would triple its size. The announcement follows recent violence in Tal where four Palestinians were killed, and a $434 million budget approved for 34 new settlements, including Havat Gilad established in 2002.

Israeli political leaders and settler groups have called for revenge against Palestinians following a deadly settler attack near Nablus, with demands to destroy the village of Tell and evacuate its population. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir advocated for erasing Palestinian villages and adopting Gaza-style destruction strategies in the West Bank.

Clashes in the northern West Bank following the killing of an Israeli settler left four Palestinians and two Israelis dead. Israel deployed troops for a counterterror operation, with Prime Minister Netanyahu and Finance Minister Smotrich advocating harsh measures including home demolitions and evacuations in Palestinian villages. Human rights group B’Tselem warned of escalating violence.

The Israeli military killed four Palestinians in Tell village, northern West Bank, following the death of an Israeli settler in a confrontation. Israeli officials announced a counterterror operation, including razing homes and revoking work permits in Tell, while settlers in the area have been linked to attacks involving arson, property damage, and assaults.

Israel's finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, stated that the US fighting Iran is the best outcome for Israel, emphasizing Israel's non-involvement in the conflict. The US and Israel initiated coordinated attacks on Iran on 28 February, prompting retaliation from Tehran.

Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that the US-led conflict with Iran aligns with Israeli interests, provided Israel does not participate directly. He emphasized economic pressure on Iran as a strategic goal, citing high inflation and currency devaluation, while Israel has avoided joining recent military operations.

Israeli ministers and lawmakers led a march near the Gaza border, organized by the Nachala settler movement, calling for the re-establishment of Israeli settlements in the Palestinian enclave. Participants included Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who made statements advocating for Jewish settlements in Gaza and encouraging Palestinian immigration out of the region.

A 17-year-old Palestinian footballer, Fadi Hamdallah al-Nassan, died from injuries sustained during an Israeli settler attack in the occupied West Bank. He was shot in the thigh on July 11, his leg was amputated, and he later succumbed to his wounds. The Palestine Football Association accused Israeli forces of shooting him during the attack, while the Israeli military did not immediately comment.

Israel approved $434 million to fund 34 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, announced by the security cabinet. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated the expansion aims to prevent a Palestinian state, while the move is considered illegal under international law.

Israel’s security cabinet approved $434 million to build 34 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich calling the decision historic. Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory are considered illegal under international law and have faced widespread condemnation, including from several EU countries.

Israel's security cabinet approved a $434 million budget for 34 new West Bank settlements, announced by right-wing Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. The move has drawn criticism as U.N. bodies, Palestinians, and most countries view the settlements as illegal under international conventions and a barrier to peace.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich claimed that US envoy Steve Witkoff referred to Gaza's population as 'two million Nazis' during a private meeting. Smotrich stated this at a conference, citing a conversation after Witkoff's visit to Gaza in August. Witkoff publicly framed his Gaza visit as an effort to aid food and medical deliveries.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich claimed US envoy Steve Witkoff called Gaza's population 'two million Nazis' during a private meeting. Smotrich also advocated for permanent Israeli territorial expansion in Lebanon during a conference.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich claimed US envoy Steve Witkoff referred to Gaza's population as 'two million Nazis' during a private meeting. Smotrich, a far-right minister, also advocated for permanent Israeli territorial expansion in Lebanon and has previously called for expelling Palestinians from Gaza. The International Criminal Court is reportedly considering charges against Smotrich for alleged crimes in the West Bank.

Ireland's parliament approved a bill to ban imports of goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, citing international legal obligations outlined by the International Court of Justice. The legislation, awaiting final approval, aligns with Ireland's stance against Israel's occupation, including recognizing a Palestinian state in 2024 and accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza.

Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich announced a 'settlement revolution' aimed at expanding Israeli settlements to the Negev and Galilee. The statement followed approval of 13 new settlements in the central occupied West Bank, which Palestinian officials claim will isolate East Jerusalem from surrounding communities.

A Channel 12 poll shows 58% of Israelis rate Netanyahu negatively, with 63% and 69% viewing Ben-Gvir and Smotrich negatively. Most respondents credited Trump, not the Israeli government, for hostage returns, and 66% opposed a proposed Basic Law defining Torah study as a foundational state value.

A former Israeli army commander claims the Gaza war could have ended earlier, allowing captives to return alive through negotiations. He criticized the government for prolonging the conflict, rejecting earlier deals, and creating an 'irreversible reality' of population mixing in the West Bank.

Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich called for the establishment of Jewish settlements within Gaza, claiming the Israeli military controls nearly 70% of the strip. He stated preparations for three settlements in the northern perimeter are underway, awaiting approval from the prime minister and defense minister.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich calls for the immediate establishment of Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich defended Israel's military control of a security strip in Lebanon and its destruction of infrastructure. He stated Hezbollah remains a threat but has been 'severely struck' and claimed Iran is weaker than before the war.

Vice President JD Vance criticized Israeli officials for advocating military solutions to national security issues, stating Israel cannot 'kill its way out' of problems. He defended the U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding, which aims to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and address Iran’s nuclear program, while acknowledging concerns about misalignment between U.S. and Israeli interests.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir stated 'all of Lebanon must burn' following the deaths of four Israeli soldiers, prompting a response from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi who labeled Israeli leadership a 'threat to all of humanity.' Despite a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, Israeli airstrikes continued in southern Lebanon, raising the death toll to 47.

Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed 21 and wounded over 39 since Thursday night, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health. Hezbollah claimed it killed four Israeli soldiers, including a battalion commander, while Israeli officials vowed to retaliate aggressively, with Defense Minister Israel Katz and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir advocating for forceful responses. The US and Iran recently signed a ceasefire memorandum amid escalating tensions.

Peace Now, an Israeli rights group, condemned the Israeli government's decision to assume planning and construction powers in Hebron from the Palestinian Municipality. The group accused finance minister Bezalel Smotrich of using the move to gain political support and criticized the action as based on an apartheid principle, which it claims undermines prospects for a two-state solution.

A 15-year-old Palestinian girl was shot in the shoulder by Israeli forces during a military raid in al-Mughayyir, West Bank, as reported by Wafa. The operation involved live ammunition and tear gas, with additional raids and settler attacks reported across the region, including an incident involving Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich transferred control of the Cave of Patriarchs/Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron from the Palestinian municipality to an Israeli committee, a move condemned by the Palestinian Authority as violating agreements and international law. The 1997 protocol had placed most of the site under Palestinian administration, which Israel has been eroding.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that Israel has transferred authority over Hebron to the army. The declaration highlights a shift in administrative control of the city.

Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that Palestinians have been stripped of administrative authority over the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, a move described as a step toward Israeli sovereignty and governance. The decision is part of expanding Israeli control over the site and surrounding areas, which has restricted Palestinian access and daily life.

The Palestinian Presidency condemned Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's announcement to cancel the Hebron agreements, which would remove the Palestinian Hebron Municipality's authority over construction projects in the occupied West Bank city. The move is described as a violation of agreements with Israel and international law, prompting a call for international intervention to address the threat to regional stability.

Israel has taken planning and construction control at a Jewish and Muslim shrine in Hebron from the Palestinian Authority, revoking a 1997 agreement that granted Palestinians oversight of the site. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the move, which affects the Tomb of the Patriarchs and Ibrahimi Mosque in the occupied West Bank.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich canceled the Hebron Protocol, revoking Palestinian control over construction in Hebron's key sites, including the Ibrahimi Mosque. The 1997 agreement, part of the Oslo Accords, divided the city into zones under Palestinian and Israeli authority, but Smotrich's move transfers planning and construction jurisdiction to Israeli state control.

Israeli ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich rejected the US-Iran deal and called for continued military pressure in southern Lebanon. They opposed a ceasefire linked to the agreement.