Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has declared the Oslo Accords "null and void" and claimed that Areas A and B of the occupied West Bank belong to Israel, whilst demanding the complete dismantling of the Palestinian Authority.
Speaking at a conference, Smotrich, who also heads the far-right Religious Zionism party, acknowledged that his stance puts him at odds with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"In any case, Oslo is null and void. In any case, Areas A and B are also ours," he said.
"That is a dispute with the prime minister."
Smotrich stated that Netanyahu had, to his knowledge, ordered the evacuation of outposts established in Areas A and B, an order he strongly opposed: "Netanyahu, to the best of my knowledge, gave an instruction to evacuate places established in Areas A and B. I don't like that instruction."
The minister urged the immediate dismantling of the Palestinian Authority, labelling it a "terrorist entity" and accusing it of financing attacks, inciting hostility, and encouraging violence against Israel.
Predictions of war
Smotrich also predicted a wide-scale military escalation across the occupied territory.
Highlighting measures implemented across Area C, he pointed to the expansion of settlements and outposts, road construction, land seizures, thousands of approved housing units, and administrative shifts cementing Israeli control.
Under the 1995 Oslo II Accord, the occupied West Bank was split into Areas A, B, and C.
Area A falls under Palestinian civil and security administration, Area B is under Palestinian civil administration and Israeli security control, whilst Area C—spanning roughly 60 percent of the occupied West Bank—remains under full Israeli military and civil control.
Israel has occupied the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since 1967.
