Smotrich Threatens New Deduction from Palestinian Clearance Under the Title 'Waste'

Translation by SadaNews: Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that his government will obligate the Palestinian Authority to bear the costs of waste removal if it fails to do so, stressing that these expenses will be deducted from the Authority's own resources.

Smotrich explained that he held an urgent meeting today, alongside Israeli occupation Army Minister Yisrael Katz, dedicated to discussing what he described as the "danger of Arab waste fires" in the West Bank, indicating that the extent of the phenomenon is "wider and more serious than previously estimated," and that it causes "severe and ongoing harm to the environment, quality of life, and public health."

He added that the Israeli government has decided to classify this phenomenon as a "national security threat," and to begin preparing a national emergency plan to address it in both the short and long term, to be implemented through cooperation between the Ministries of Defense and Finance, local authorities, and law enforcement agencies.

According to Smotrich, as translated by SadaNews, the agreed-upon measures include: considering waste fires a national security violation, expanding administrative authorities for permanent confiscation, including the confiscation of Palestinian waste collection trucks, as well as allocating open budgets to operate private contractors and heavy equipment to combat fires and collect waste, with costs to be covered by Palestinian Authority funds.

The plan also includes enhancing joint law enforcement operations and establishing a central waste disposal site in the central West Bank, aiming to reduce the spread of fires and address the problem fundamentally.