Far-right minister says entire West Bank ‘belongs to Israel,’ threatens to topple Palestinian Authority

Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has claimed that all three administrative zones of the occupied West Bank are Israeli territory, contradicting the Oslo Accords signed between the Tel Aviv regime and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

“There is no difference between Areas A, B and C. The entire land is ours. This is our country,” Ben-Gvir told Israel's Channel 14 news network on Thursday.

Under the 1995 Oslo II Accord, the West Bank was partitioned into three distinct administrative zones: Area A, Area B, and Area C. Area A remains under complete Palestinian administrative authority, whereas Area B is under joint Palestinian civilian administration and Israeli security oversight. Area C, comprising approximately 60% of the total territory, remains under exclusive Israeli administrative control.

Ben-Gvir also threatened to dissolve the Palestinian Authority and push for the forced displacement of Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza Strip should he become the next Israeli war minister.

He alleged that 60% of Palestinians desire to emigrate, in contradiction to available evidence and reports.

“I will dedicate time to this, and I will manage the process continuously. Every week, I will hold a discussion involving all relevant parties,” the extremist Israeli minister said.

When asked how Israel could deploy additional forces in the West Bank and Gaza, Ben-Gvir said, “It is very simple: The more you allow soldiers to shoot and use force, the less manpower you need.”

“I will remove the restrictions on our soldiers. Today, the police rules of engagement are much more lenient than those of the army,” he added.

Israeli settlers attack Palestinian homes and olive farms in occupied West Bank

Israeli settlers have attacked Palestinian homes and olive farms in the occupied West Bank.

30 Palestinians killed in Israeli settler attacks in West Bank

Meanwhile, more than two dozen Palestinians have lost their lives in assaults carried out by Israeli settlers throughout the occupied West Bank since the beginning of the current year, according to official Palestinian data released on Friday.

The Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission announced in a statement that the number of Palestinians killed due to settler violence has reached 30 as of October 2, representing a figure that surpasses the annual death toll observed in any year since 2022.

The 2026 toll, with the year still ongoing, has already exceeded twice the entire 2025 total by a considerable margin, with an estimated rise of approximately 114 percent, it said.

The commission described the figures as “a dangerous escalation in the deadly consequences of attacks by occupiers.”

According to the commission, the deaths were substantially concentrated in Ramallah and al-Bireh as well as Nablus provinces. It documented a total of 15 deaths in Ramallah and Bireh Governorate and seven deaths in Nablus, together comprising approximately 73% of the overall mortality count.

Three Palestinians lost their lives in al-Khalil, with two fatalities each recorded in al-Quds and Salfit, and one casualty in Qalqilya.

The commission reported that Israeli forces and settlers carried out 2,051 assaults targeting Palestinians, their territories, and their possessions throughout the West Bank during September.

Of those, settlers conducted 647 attacks, killing three Palestinians during the month.

The commission reported that settlers executed 5,561 attacks during the period between early 2026 and the end of September. The attacks caused harm to 14,600 trees in September, of which 9,334 were olive trees.

Zionist settlers murder 19-year-old in West Bank amid record surge in violence

Zionist settlers and occupation forces have killed a 19-year-old Palestinian in the occupied West Bank, marking the second such murder in 48 hours as settler terrorism reaches its highest annual toll in years.

Israeli authorities also proceeded to demolish 254 Palestinian structures during the month, comprising 89 inhabited homes. These demolitions directly impacted 320 Palestinians, among whom were 164 children and 64 women.

Settlers also attempted to establish 21 new illegal outposts across the West Bank in September.

Moreover, Israeli officials advanced 16 plans for the construction of 3,821 illegal settler units last month.

The commission said Israeli authorities expropriated approximately 6,635 dunams (1,640 acres) of Palestinian land since the start of 2026.

According to official Palestinian data, approximately 750,000 Israeli settlers live throughout the West Bank, including occupied East al-Quds, and reside in 194 illegal settlements and 400 unauthorized outposts.

In June, 14 UN special rapporteurs warned that the sharp rise in “settler terrorism,” with support and complicity from Israeli officials in the occupied Palestinian territory, posed an existential threat to Palestinian communities.

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