Ankara: Israel's finance minister has declared the Oslo Accords 'null and void' and claimed that Areas A and B of the occupied West Bank also belong to Israel, while calling for the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority.

According to Anadolu Agency, Bezalel Smotrich, who also heads the Religious Zionism party, made these statements while speaking at a conference on Sunday. He acknowledged that his position differs from that of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Smotrich asserted, "In any case, Oslo is null and void. In any case, Areas A and B are also ours." He noted that this stance is at odds with Netanyahu's, who has reportedly ordered the evacuation of sites established in Areas A and B, a decision Smotrich opposes.

The minister, known for his far-right views, labeled the Palestinian Authority a 'terrorist entity' and accused it of promoting and financing attacks against Israel. He further predicted an inevitable Israeli military operation in the West Bank, stating, "There will be no avoiding a war in Judea and Samaria in the near future, in which we will disarm all the Arabs in Judea and Samaria." Smotrich argued that Israel should evaluate its adversaries based on capabilities rather than intentions, claiming there are significantly more weapons in the area than acknowledged.

Smotrich also cited Israeli measures in Area C, including community and farm expansion, road construction, land declarations, and thousands of housing units, alongside changes to the legal and administrative mechanisms governing the territory. The West Bank, under the 1995 Oslo II Accord, was divided into Areas A, B, and C, with varying degrees of Palestinian and Israeli control. Israel has occupied the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since 1967.