Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has publicly declared the Oslo Accords to be "null and void," asserting that Areas A and B of the occupied West Bank are Israeli territory. Smotrich, who leads the far-right Religious Zionism party, made these remarks during a conference, where he also acknowledged that his position directly contradicts the stance held by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"In any case, Oslo is null and void. In any case, Areas A and B are also ours," Smotrich stated. He further noted that his perspective has created a dispute with the prime minister, particularly regarding administrative instructions. According to Smotrich, Netanyahu had issued an order to evacuate outposts established within Areas A and B, an instruction the minister stated he strongly opposes. "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," he said.
Beyond his territorial claims, Smotrich called for the immediate dismantling of the Palestinian Authority. He characterized the organization as a "terrorist entity," accusing it of inciting hostility, encouraging violence against Israel, and financing attacks. Looking ahead, the minister predicted that a wide-scale military escalation is likely to occur across the occupied territory.
Smotrich pointed to ongoing measures in Area C as evidence of shifting control. He highlighted the expansion of settlements and outposts, the construction of roads, land seizures, and the approval of thousands of housing units as administrative shifts aimed at cementing Israeli presence. Under the 1995 Oslo II Accord, the West Bank was divided into three sections: Area A, which is under Palestinian civil and security administration; Area B, under Palestinian civil administration and Israeli security control; and Area C, which comprises approximately 60 percent of the West Bank and remains under full Israeli military and civil control. Israel has occupied the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since 1967.
