Ben-Gvir calls for flattening West Bank towns like Gaza's Beit Hanoun
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Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for the destruction of Palestinian towns in the occupied West Bank, citing the model of Beit Hanoun in Gaza. The call came ahead of a security cabinet meeting convened by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after a settler attack killed 4 Palestinians and 1 Israeli.
The Call for Destruction
Ben-Gvir posted on X that West Bank cities and villages should be razed like Beit Hanoun, a Gaza town heavily destroyed by Israeli strikes. He said he would demand from Netanyahu and military officials that Palestinian homes be "flattened from the air and with D9 bulldozers." He added, "This is the language spoken in the Middle East, and just as we spoke it in Gaza, now is the time to speak it in the West Bank."
Settler Violence and Cabinet Response
The incident that triggered the security meeting occurred near the illegal outpost Havat Gilad in the northern West Bank, where settlers opened fire, killing 4 Palestinians and wounding 4 others, 3 critically. The Israeli emergency service Magen David Adom reported that 1 Israeli was killed and 2 others seriously wounded. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called illegal settlements Israel's "protective wall" and urged the military to strike Palestinians hard.
Escalation Since October 2023
Since Israel's Gaza offensive began in October 2023, violence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem has surged. According to Palestinian figures, Israeli forces and settlers have killed 1,182 Palestinians, wounded about 13,000, detained nearly 24,000, and forcibly displaced 33,000. The current escalation marks a significant uptick in settler-led attacks.
What's Next
Netanyahu is set to hold a security meeting with top officials in the coming hours to discuss the response to the deadly incident. It remains unclear whether the cabinet will adopt Ben-Gvir's proposal or pursue a more restrained approach amid international scrutiny.
3 sources
Ben-Gvir calls for flattening West Bank towns like Gaza's Beit Hanoun
