Khaberni - Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev said, "Her government sees the imposition of 'sovereignty' over the occupied West Bank as inevitably occurring in the end," despite President Donald Trump's declaration in October of last year that he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank.
In an interview broadcast by Channel "12" Hebrew, on Saturday, Regev explained, "Sovereignty in the West Bank will be realized eventually, but the time is not right now." She added that her ministry "implements the sovereignty of Tel Aviv over Judea and Samaria (the Jewish name for the West Bank) through road construction." Regev claimed that "the American administration understands that there is no other way but to impose Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank."
On October 22nd, the Knesset preliminarily approved two bills to annex the occupied West Bank and the Ma'ale Adumim settlement, supported by the "Religious Zionism" party led by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Trump had previously announced in October that he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank.
This annexation would terminate the possibility of implementing the two-state solution (Palestinian and Israeli) outlined in resolutions issued by the United Nations. At least 160 of the UN’s 193 members recognize the State of Palestine. In military and security dossiers, the minister stated, "Israel remains in a state of war in the north and south."
In other news, the Israeli occupation army announced it will commence military drills lasting three days in the West Bank, the Jordan Valley, and other areas beginning on Monday morning. According to the army's statement, the drills will start "in the early morning hours tomorrow, and will continue for about three days in the area of Judea and Samaria (the Hebrew name for the West Bank), and in the Jordan Valley and the valleys."
The Jordan Valley, located east of the West Bank and running alongside the Jordan River, is referred to as "the valleys" in the Israeli military context to denote open lowland areas in the north of the West Bank and northern Israel, which are utilized for military training due to their expansive geographical features.
The statement also added that "the exercise will witness active movements of security forces and military vehicles in those areas and is part of an annual training plan to enhance the readiness of the forces," as expressed. The army claimed that "there is no actual security event associated with the exercise."
Palestinians in the West Bank are facing attacks as part of a widespread escalation by the Israeli army and settlers, resulting in the martyrdom of at least 1069 Palestinians and injuring about 10,000, since Tel Aviv, with U.S. support, began a genocide in the Gaza Strip on October 8, 2023.
