The Israeli minister orders preparations for the annexation of the West Bank - the first reaction comes

Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has ordered preparations to annex the occupied West Bank before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January 2025.

In a statement on Monday, Smotrich expressed his hope that the new administration in Washington will recognize Israel's push for "sovereignty" over the occupied territory. Al Jazeera, the Telegraph reports.

In addition to his financial portfolio, Smotrich – who himself lives in an illegal Israeli settlement – ​​also holds a position in Israel's Ministry of Defense, where he oversees the administration of the occupied West Bank and its settlements.

"2025: the year of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria," Smotrich wrote in X, using the biblical name by which Israel refers to the occupied West Bank.

At a meeting of his far-right faction in the Israeli parliament, or Knesset, on Monday, Smotrich hailed Trump's victory in the US presidential election over Kamala Harris and said he had instructed the Directorate of Settlements and the Defense Ministry's Civil Administration to laying the groundwork for annexation.

"... I have no doubt that President Trump, who has shown courage and determination in his decisions during his first term, will support the State of Israel in this move," he added.

As Al Jazeera further points out, Smotrich said there is broad agreement within Israel's ruling coalition on the move and on opposition to the formation of a Palestinian state.

"The only way to remove this danger from the agenda is to apply Israeli sovereignty over the settlements in Judea and Samaria," he declared.

On the other hand, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, estimated that Smotrich's comments confirmed the Israeli government's intention to annex the occupied West Bank in violation of international law.

"We hold the Israeli occupation authorities fully responsible for the consequences of these dangerous policies," he was quoted as saying. "The United States was also responsible for the continued support it provided to Israel's aggression," he added.

We recall that Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said that while there are those who may be sure that Trump could be inclined to support such moves, the government had not made any decision.

"A decision has not yet been made on this issue," Saar was quoted as saying at a press conference in Jerusalem on Monday.

"The last time we discussed this issue was in President Trump's first term." "And so let's say that if it will be important, it will be discussed again with our friends in Washington."

The West Bank has been under Israeli occupation since 1967. Since then, Israeli settlements have expanded despite being illegal under international law.

Al Jazeera recalls that Smotrich has previously stated his intention to extend Israeli sovereignty over the occupied territories, preventing the creation of a Palestinian state.

He has also threatened to destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition if a ceasefire is negotiated with Hezbollah on Israel's northern front. /Telegraph/