'The entire land is ours': Ben Gvir escalates calls for annexation of occupied West Bank

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir claimed that the entire occupied West Bank “belongs to Israel” and has vowed to dismantle the Palestinian Authority and pursue the displacement of Palestinians if he becomes defence minister, Israeli media have reported.

Speaking to Israel’s Channel 14, Ben Gvir said that, if appointed defence minister, he would work to dismantle the Palestinian Authority and push for Palestinians to leave the occupied West Bank and Gaza.

The minister said that 60 percent of Palestinians want to “emigrate”.

“I will dedicate time to this, and I will manage the process continuously. Every week, I will hold a discussion involving all relevant parties,” he said. “There is no difference between Areas A, B and C. The entire land is ours."

Under the territorial framework established in the Oslo agreement between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organisation in 1995, Areas A and B were placed under varying degrees of Palestinian jurisdiction, while Israel retained control over Area C.