Israel announces deal to split Defense Ministry’s powers in West Bank

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) – The Israeli government announced a deal on Thursday to hand over some of the Defense Ministry’s powers to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

The deal was inked between Smotrich, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Under the agreement, Smotrich, the head of the far-right Religious Zionism Party, will enjoy powers over the Israeli Civil Administration in the occupied West Bank, The Times of Israel newspaper reported.

The Civil Administration is an Israeli army body that oversees the daily communication with Palestinians in the West Bank, including issuing permits for work in Israel.

Gallant, however, will maintain full security control in the West Bank, but issues related to civilian life of Israeli settlers will be under Smotrich's authority.

The agreement also gives Smotrich control over approving settlement building plans, as he will hold another title of a minister within the Defense Ministry.

Smotrich will also have control over the issue of Palestinian home demolitions and the demolition of settlement units or outposts that are built without prior approval from the Israeli authorities.

Israeli and Palestinian estimates indicate there are about 650,000 settlers living in 164 settlements and 116 outposts in the occupied West Bank.

Under international law, all Jewish settlements in the occupied territories are considered illegal.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar