Israel's Smotrich announces settlement plan to 'bury' idea of Palestinian state
Standing at the site in Maale Adumim, Smotrich said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump had agreed to the revival of the E1 scheme, though there was no immediate confirmation from either.
'Whoever in the world is trying to recognise a Palestinian state today will receive our answer on the ground. Not with documents nor with decisions or statements, but with facts. Facts of houses, facts of neighbourhoods," Smotrich said.
Israel froze construction plans at Maale Adumim in 2012, and again after a revival in 2020, because of objections from the U.S., European allies and other powers who considered the project a threat to any future peace deal with the Palestinians.
The move could further isolate Israel, which has watched some of its Western allies condemn its military offensive in Gaza in the war with Palestinian militant group Hamas and announce they will recognise a Palestinian state.
Palestinians fear the settlement building in the West Bank - which has sharply intensified since the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that led to the Gaza war - will rob them of any chance to build a state of their own in the area.
In a statement headlined "Burying the idea of a Palestinian state," Smotrich's spokesperson said the minister had approved the plan to build 3,401 houses for Israeli settlers between an existing settlement in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
In Maale Adumim, Smotrich told Reuters the plan would go into effect on Wednesday, without specifying what would happen on that day.
The Palestinian foreign ministry called the plan an extension of crimes of genocide, displacement and annexation. Israel has long rejected accusations of genocide and rights abuses and said it is acting in its own defence.
Hamas described the plan as part of Israel's "colonial, extremist" policies and called on Palestinians to confront it. Jordan's foreign ministry condemned the move as a flagrant violation of international law.
Peace Now, which tracks settlement activity in the West Bank, said there were still steps needed before construction, including the approval of Israel's High Planning Council. But if all went through, infrastructure work could begin within a few months, and house building in about a year.
'The E1 plan is deadly for the future of Israel and for any chance of achieving a peaceful two-state solution. We are standing at the edge of an abyss, and the government is driving us forward at full speed," Peace Now said in a statement.
Palestinians were already demoralised by the Israeli military campaign which has killed more than 61,000 people in Gaza, according to local health authorities, and fear Israel will ultimately push them out of that territory.
About 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israel annexed East Jerusalem in a move not recognised by most countries but has not formally extended sovereignty over the West Bank.
The UN and most world powers say settlement expansion has eroded the viability of a two-state solution by fragmenting Palestinian territory. The two-state plan envisages a Palestinian state in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, existing side by side with Israel.
Israel disputes this, citing historical and biblical ties to the area, which it calls Judea and Samaria, and says the settlements provide strategic depth and security.
Most of the international community considers all settlements illegal under international law, a position backed by numerous UN Security Council resolutions, including one which called on Israel to halt all settlement activity.
Israel rejects this interpretation, saying the West Bank is "disputed" rather than "occupied" territory.
Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand imposed sanctions in June on Smotrich and another far-right minister who advocates for settlement expansion, accusing both of them of repeatedly inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Smotrich's popularity has fallen in recent months with polls showing his party would not win a single seat if parliamentary elections were held today. His party largely draws its support from settlers.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
a few seconds ago
- BBC News
Subway sandwich thrown at federal agent deployed to Washington DC
An employee at the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has been arrested for throwing a Subway sandwich at a federal agent deployed to Washington DC as part of President Donald Trump's vow to crackdown on Charles Dunn, who had worked in the DOJ Criminal Division, was fired after video of the incident emerged. He is being charged with felony assault. The presence of federal law enforcement agents, as well as the National Guard, has led to widespread anger in the mostly Democratic a Republican, has said the deployment is necessary to fight crime and remove "drugged-out maniacs and homeless people". Local police data shows violent crime is at a 30-year low in Washington DC. According to charging documents, Mr Dunn allegedly threw a "submarine-style sandwich" at a Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officer on a video of the incident, which prosecutors cite in their charges, the suspect is heard calling the agents "fascists" and screaming profanities directed at them."Why are you here? I don't want you in my city," he yells before crossing the road. He later returns and is seen hurling the wrapped sandwich into the chest of a uniformed agent, who appears to be wearing a bulletproof then flees on foot as officers give chase. According to prosecutors, Mr Dunn confessed after he was arrested on Wednesday, telling investigators: "I did it. I threw a sandwich."US Attorney General Pam Bondi, the highest-ranking law enforcement agent in the US and oversees the DOJ, posted about the incident on social media on Thursday. "I just learned that this defendant worked at the Department of Justice — NO LONGER. Not only is he FIRED, he has been charged with a felony."Mr Dunn had been working as a trial attorney for the Office of International Affairs within the DOJ's Criminal Division, according to CBS news, the BBC's US Attorney for Washington DC Jeanine Pirro said in a video announcing Mr Dunn's arrest that he "thought it was funny. Well, he doesn't think it's funny today, because we charged with him with a felony.""So there, stick your Subway sandwich somewhere else," she unusual nature of the incident led to several jokes online, including the comment "assault with a deli weapon" - a gag which received more than 1,500 upvotes on Reddit.A local judge declined to press charges, before a federal judge permitted assault charges to be filed, CBS reports. Mr Dunn is currently free on bail and is facing up to eight years in have not not said whether the officer suffered any injuries in the incident. About 100 people have been arrested since the agents and troops began arriving in the US capital on troops from the National Guard, there are agents deployed from the FBI, the US Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Secret deployments have led to protests in the District, which as the seat of the federal government does not have the same rights as a US addition to deployments of those federal officers, Trump has placed the city's police department under direct federal control, using provisions laid out in the District of Columbia Home Rule act was instituted by former President Richard Nixon in 1973 to allow residents of Washington DC - where approximately 700,000 people live without official voting representation in Congress - to elect a city council and a mayor.
Daily Mirror
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Moment police tackle man to ground and arrested him in front of White House
The arrest comes after Donald Trump launched into a rant about crime in Washington, claiming it's the 'worst it's ever been' - and said his administration would take control of the city's police Shocking video footage has captured the moment a man is tackled to the ground by police officers, tasered and arrested outside the White House in broad daylight, as onlookers watch with concern. The arrest comes amid President Donald Trump's unprecedented announcement that his administration would take control of the Washington DC police department and deploy the National Guard for at least a month, promising a round-the-clock presence of local and federal law enforcement in the city. The White House reported 45 arrests in the city last night, including 29 people living in the country illegally, and said more than 1,650 people are now involved in the law enforcement operation. During a press briefing at the White House on Thursday, Trump ranted about crime in Washington, claiming it's the "worst it's ever been". It comes as Donald Trump 'glitches' as he speaks in Oval Office ahead of Putin summit. Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson clarified that while the National Guard can temporarily detain individuals while assisting law enforcement, they do not have the power of arrest. Trump's new measures also include clearing homeless encampments and relocating residents far from the city, although details of the plan remain unclear. Local officials have already started some of the work themselves, aiming to provide stronger social services to those being displaced. During a White House briefing today, Trump claimed that crime in Washington is the "worst it's ever been," calling the situation "tragic" and describing it as an "epidemic." The briefing, held to mark the 90th anniversary of the Social Security Act, also saw Trump pledge to protect Social Security, boast about "ending Biden's inflation nightmare," and highlight the hundreds of billions in tariffs collected on goods. When asked about his meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska tomorrow, Trump said it will "save a lot of lives." He said an even "more important" meeting - with Putin, Zelensky, and possibly European leaders - will follow. "We'll see if they can get along," he said of the leaders, adding that he believes the pair can "make peace." Meanwhile, the Mayor of Washington DC slammed Trump's takeover as an "authoritarian push" as National Guard troops flooded the capital. Democrat mayor Muriel Bowser slammed Mr Trump over his crime crackdown as the US military prepares to patrol the district's streets after the Republican president branded the capital a "lawless" city. Speaking about the move on Tuesday night, she said: "This is a time when the community needs to jump in. To protect our city, to protect our autonomy, to protect our home rule. Get to the other side of this guy and make sure we elect a Democratic House so that we have a backstop to this authoritarian push." The mayor's combative stance comes after she branded the takeover as "unprecedented," although she admitted she was not "totally surprised." The National Guard arrived in the US capital at about 8pm on Tuesday after Trump said he wanted to curb violent crime in the city. Trump activated the national guard following an attempted carjacking involving DOGE employee Edward Coristine, who was beaten while trying to protect a woman. His comments are a stark contrast to his previous responses to crime in Washington DC. Following his inauguration, Trump pardoned nearly 1,600 people convicted or awaiting trio for the January 6, 2021 Capitol riots with more than 600 having been convicted or pleading guilty to assault, or obstructing law enforcement and 170 of having used a deadly weapon. National Guard troops have been seen in the capital with a master sergeant telling The New York Times military Humvees parked on the National Mall was part of a "presence patrol." The Washington Post said Pentagon documents said there could be 600 troops on the ground within a single hour anywhere in the US should they be given approval.
Daily Mail
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Trump touts eye-popping number of illegal migrants and dead Americans he's kicked off Social Security
President Donald Trump claims that hundreds of thousands of non-citizens and millions of dead Americans have been removed from the Social Security system. The 79-year-old president celebrated the numbers while signing a proclamation commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Social Security Administration (SSA) in the Oval Office on Thursday. 'We've already kicked nearly 275,000 illegal aliens off of the Social Security system,' the Republican said. 'These are people, many of them have already left the country, and yet we were sending them checks all the time.' The SSA was quick to back up Trump. 'Under President Trump's leadership, SSA updated the Social Security records of about 275,000 individuals no longer holding legal status, ensuring people ineligible to receive benefits are not improperly paid,' an SSA spokesperson told the Daily Mail. The key phrase here is that the records were 'updated,' as it's unclear whether the SSA was actively paying the individuals. It appears Trump's calculations may be exaggerated. According to the SSA, only 'lawfully present noncitizens of the United States who meet all eligibility requirements can qualify for Social Security benefits.' Trump said nearly 60 million Americans rely on Social Security, the safety net that provides retirees with regular payments. 'Under Biden, Social Security went down like nobody's ever seen. It deteriorated,' he added. Mexican migrants, recently deported after being apprehended in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, wait to be transported to a shelter in a van operated by Mexico's National Migration Institute, in Tijuana, Mexico, July 29, 2025 After Trump touted eliminating taxes on Social Security, his aide, Will Scharf, was forced to correct the president by telling him that a 'vast majority' of Americans will not pay taxes on the benefits. The SSA was signed into law in 1935 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as a way to help Americans suffering during the Great Depression. It compels citizens to save money that can then support others who are more financially disadvantaged or elderly and unable to work. Trump also celebrated the removal of over 12 million individuals aged 120 or older from the SSA system. The millions of impossibly old Social Security beneficiaries were first identified by DOGE in May. The SSA Inspector General had long suggested a 'cleanup' of SSA records before DOGE identified the suspicious payments. Some identified were 'over 120 years of age, meaning you were breaking records, because I've never heard of anybody at 125,' the president joked. 'There were nearly 135,000 people listed who are over 160 years old, and in some cases, getting payments.' SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano joined Trump in the Oval Office to celebrate the government agency's anniversary and modernization efforts. 'This will be a digital-first agency, and we are building MySSA accounts, that's the digital account, and we have a bold goal of 200 million Americans to have a digital SSA account by the end of next year,' Bisignano shared. 'It will happen, just like we had a bold goal of single-digit wait time on the calls when they were at 40 minutes.' The president also touted his recent Social Security reforms that were passed in his landmark legislative package passed earlier this summer, dubbed the 'One Big, Beautiful Bill.' That package allowed a temporary $6,000 tax deduction on Social Security for those aged 65 and over. According to the White House, Social Security wait times have declined by 23 percent while the agency deals with 70 percent more calls than last year.
