Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
JERUSALEM, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) — Israeli cabinet ministers on Sunday called for the annexation of the occupied West Bank in response to Britain, Canada and Australia recognizing a Palestinian state.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, called for "immediate countermeasures." In a post on the social media platform X, he called for "the immediate application of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria," using the Israeli term for the West Bank, and declared that Israel must "crush" the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority.
According to I. Ben-Gvir, at the next cabinet meeting he will present a proposal for the annexation of the West Bank.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, another far-right coalition partner, also tried to pressure Netanyahu to establish Israeli sovereignty over the territory in order to “remove the stupid idea of a Palestinian state from the agenda forever.”
“Mr. Prime Minister, now is the time, and everything is in your hands,” said B. Smotrich.
Both ministers have long advocated for the annexation of the West Bank and the restoration of settlements in the Gaza Strip.
On Sunday, the Israeli military announced that more than half of Gaza City's residents had fled as Israel threatened to intensify its ground and air attacks on the city. According to the military, more than 550,000 civilians have been evacuated, but Xinhua has not yet been able to independently confirm this figure.
The military added that three full divisions had completed their advance into Gaza City and were currently operating in areas they had identified as Hamas strongholds.
Last week, Israel announced the launch of a large-scale operation to capture Gaza City, the enclave's largest urban center, with officials vowing to destroy what remains of the already devastated city.
Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War and, despite international criticism, maintains control of the territories, where Palestinians want to establish their future state. –0–
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