Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has made strong statements regarding Israeli policy in the West Bank, saying that during the current mandate "the idea of a Palestinian state is being de facto killed."

In a public statement, Smotrich said that, according to him, a clear change in the dynamics of construction has been observed on the ground, where illegal Palestinian construction in the West Bank has stopped. He emphasized that for the first time, the trend has been reversed, with the number of building demolitions increasing compared to new construction.

"For the first time, we have reversed the trend: more demolitions than constructions. This means that the direction has been reversed," he said.

According to him, the authorities are taking tough measures against construction, including the demolition of multi-storey buildings. He argued that these actions create a deterrent effect on construction activity, adding that “no one wants to invest in a losing fund.”

Smotrich also announced that Israel is moving toward a new land registration process in the West Bank, an initiative he said has not been implemented since the aftermath of the Six-Day War. He presented this as an administrative step with a long-term impact on land management in the territory.

His statements are expected to provoke new international reactions, given that the West Bank issue remains one of the most sensitive points in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and one of the main topics in discussions about a two-state solution. /Telegraph/

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