Smotrich Calls for Israel To Do in the West Bank ‘What We Did in Gaza’ as IDF Imposes Week-Long Closure

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for Israel to “go to war” in the Israeli-occupied West Bank in the same way it did in Gaza, as the Israeli military imposed a complete closure of the West Bank for one week, further restricting the movement of Palestinians.

“I think we need to go to war in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank). Do there what we did in Gaza. Dismantle the Palestinian Authority, which is a terrorist authority,” Smotrich said in an interview with Ynet that was published on Sunday.

When asked what he meant, Smotrich referenced an Israeli military campaign in the northern West Bank refugee camps of Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur Shams that began in January 2025 and involved the forced displacement of more than 30,000 Palestinians from their homes. The refugee camps remain empty today as the residents haven’t been allowed to return, and many of the roads and buildings in the camps have been destroyed.