Israel’s finance minister approves settlement to ‘bury the idea of a Palestinian state’
New Israeli settlement to split East Jerusalem from occupied West Bank
- Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has approved plans for a new settlement intended to separate East Jerusalem from the occupied West Bank.
- Mr Smotrich's office said the plan aims to "bury the idea of a Palestinian state", a move previously frozen since 2012 due to international objections.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated his call for the "voluntary migration" of Palestinians from Gaza, a concept critics equate to ethnic cleansing.
- Despite efforts to revive ceasefire talks, Mr Netanyahu's office confirmed Israel has no plans to send a negotiating team to Cairo.
- Meanwhile, Israeli gunfire has killed at least 25 people seeking aid in Gaza, according to health officials and witnesses.