Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich was racing ahead with his plans to annex the West Bank and establish new settlements that would ensure a continuation of Jewish controlled territory. The civil administration has doubled its enforcement of violations by Palestinian of building permits, demolishing illegally built structures.
According to figures obtained by Ynet, since January 2024, 642 cases of illegal building in Palestinian areas were prosecuted. In some cases, multiple structures were demolished. In 2023, the civil administration enforced 306 cases only. An official said that 1,000 illegally built structure of Palestinians were demolished this year.
The accelerated efforts could be in order to create facts on the ground before U.S. president-elect Donald Trump takes office. In November, Smotrich, who also holds a ministerial position in the Defense Ministry, charged with the administration of the West Bank, emphasized the plan to create Jewish settlement continuity connecting Gush Etzion, in the southern part of the West Bank, to Jerusalem.
"Trump's victory also brings with it an important opportunity for the State of Israel. We were a step away from applying sovereignty to the settlements in Judea and Samaria, and now is the time to do it," he said.
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The head of the far-right Religious Zionism Party said his efforts were to prevent plans by the Palestinian Authority (PA) to cut Gush Etzion off from the capital and create a continuity of Palestinian residents. "We will not allow violations of law that would bring about the establishment of a Palestinian state and endanger the security of settlers," he said. "We will act resolutely to protect the state of Israel and the security of its citizens."