Israeli far-right minister calls for Gaza-style destruction in occupied West Bank cities, villages

Israeli far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Friday called for applying the destructive military approach used in Gaza's Beit Hanoun to Palestinian cities and villages in the occupied West Bank.

The cities and villages of Palestinians who carry out attacks against Israelis in the West Bank should be treated "as Beit Hanoun in Gaza was treated," Ben-Gvir said in a post on the US social media platform X.

"I will demand that the Israeli army issue orders to destroy the homes" of Palestinians involved in such incidents and their supporters, the extremist minister said.

"For every Jew killed, the enemy must bear the loss of land and homes," Ben-Gvir added.

The statement came after a security incident earlier Friday in which four Palestinians were killed in an attack by Israeli forces and occupiers in the town of Tell, southwest of Nablus in the northern occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Israeli media reported that one occupier was killed and three others injured in a shooting near the illegal Havat Gilad settlement.

In a statement Friday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said 86 Palestinians had been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces and occupiers since the beginning of 2026, including 21 killed by occupiers.

The occupied West Bank has witnessed an escalation in Israeli raids and arrests since the start of the genocidal war in Gaza in October 2023. Attacks by the Israeli army and occupiers have killed 1,182 Palestinians and led to the arrest of around 24,000, according to official figures.