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Middle East conflict

Israeli minister proposes to annex West Bank in response to ICC arrest warrants

Meanwhile, Ben-Gvir stated that he fully supports Netanyahu and the ongoing Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip

TEL AVIV, November 21. /TASS/. Itaman Ben-Gvir, Israel’s Minister of National Security and the leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, has condemned the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision to issue arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. He proposed annexing the entire territory of the West Bank in response.

"The response to these arrest warrants is the extension of sovereignty to the entire Judea and Samaria [the Israeli name for the West Bank - TASS], construction of settlements in all parts of the country, severance of ties with the terrorist administration [the Palestinian National Authority - TASS] and sanctions," he said on his X page.

Meanwhile, Ben-Gvir stated that he fully supports Netanyahu and the ongoing Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip.

"The ICC in The Hague once again shows that it is anti-Semitic through and though. This is total systemic madness. I support the Prime Minister in the just war," he said.

On Thursday, the ICC announced that arrest warrants had been issued against Netanyahu and Gallant over suspected war crimes and crimes against humanity in Palestine. According to the court’s statement, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber unanimously rejected Israeli objections and issued two rulings.

Earlier this month, Israeli Minister of Finance, leader of the far-right Religious Zionist Party Bezalel Smotrich, who also supervises the settlement operations in the Defense Ministry, also spoke about the possible annexation of the West Bank. In his opinion, the annexation may happen in 2025 due to Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election. Smotrich noted that, during his previous presidential term, Trump recognized the Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights and agreed to consider Jerusalem the capital of Israel and moved the US embassy there. Smotrich and Ben-Gvir are the two most radical ministers in regards to the Palestinian issue in the current government.

In December 2016, the UN Security Council adopted the Resolution 2334, demanded to stop the settlement operation on the occupied territories. Israel refused to comply with this document.

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