Israeli far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has openly stated his intention to annex the West Bank to Israel. In a meeting with his Religious Zionism party, Smotrich expressed his goal of establishing sovereignty over the occupied territory and preventing the creation of a Palestinian state. This announcement comes shortly after reports revealed that Smotrich and his allies had gained new legal powers to further their annexation efforts. Smotrich emphasized his commitment to "establishing facts on the ground" in order to integrate Judea and Samaria (the Israeli term for the West Bank) into the state of Israel.

Israeli forces have been accused of using excessive force in the occupied West Bank, with reports emerging of troops strapping an injured Palestinian to a jeep. This incident comes amidst escalating violence in the region, with at least 39 people killed in Gaza due to Israeli strikes. Since October 7th, Israeli forces have reportedly killed over 480 Palestinians in the West Bank. The situation remains tense as clashes continue between Israeli forces and Palestinian protesters. The use of force by Israeli troops has drawn criticism from human rights organizations, who have called for an end to the violence and for both sides to engage in peaceful dialogue to resolve the conflict.