NNA - Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich unveiled plans to shut down the Civil Administration in the West Bank, marking a key step in his broader plan to annex the West Bank to Israel.

Smotrich said the plan had been discussed with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and was planned to be carried out during the presidency of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

"We have a significant opportunity alongside the new U.S. administration to create full normalization and bring government ministries here," Smotrich said, according to Yedioth Ahronoth, an Israeli daily newspaper in Tel Aviv.

Smotrich explained that work was underway to bring this vision to the table.

“I have also spoken with the designated Israeli ambassador to Washington, Yehiel Light, and we aim to achieve significant progress on this issue,” he stated.

“This is a vision for the Day of Reckoning, and we can achieve it,” said Smotrich.

The closure of the Israeli Civil Administration unit, which claims to provide civil services to approximately 250,000 Palestinians in Area C of the West Bank, is a crucial step in the Israeli government's plans to annex the West Bank.

Area C makes up 60% of the West Bank and falls under full Israeli military and administrative control, as outlined in the Oslo Accords.--WAFA

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