Live blog update| Israel's war on Gaza
This is an entry from: Gaza live: Fresh Israeli order forces over 170,000 Palestinians to leave their homes

Smotrich: Israel is expanding settlements to block Palestinian statehood

5 August 2024 08:28 BST

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on X that Israel has expanded the construction of settlements "to remove the threat" of Palestinian statehood.

The far-right minister stated that "this agenda" would be blocked through "strengthening settlements in construction, development, establishment and regulation of settlements and infrastructure".

"Stopping the Arab takeover of the open areas, fighting the terrorist financing of the Palestinian Authority and its leaders and complete Israeli control of the territory [the occupied West Bank]. This is the only way," Smotrich added.

Western countries, including the US, have repeatedly expressed support for the creation of a Palestinian state within the framework of a two-state solution.