Germany criticizes Israeli minister’s call for turning West Bank cities into rubble

Germany on Wednesday criticized far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's call for destroying the Palestinian cities of Jenin and Nablus in the occupied West Bank just like Jabalia in northern Gaza.

"We strictly reject these statements. They are not helpful. They are escalating and they do not help to find peace in the Middle East conflict," deputy Foreign Ministry spokesperson Christian Wagner told journalists in Berlin.

"We are very concerned about the situation in the West Bank," he added in the wake of escalating tensions in the West Bank.

On Monday, Smotrich called for the massive destruction in the West Bank cities of Nablus and Jenin as was the case in Jabalia in northern Gaza.

"Funduq, Nablus, and Jenin must look like Jabalia," Smotrich said.

His call came after three illegal Israeli settlers were killed in a shooting attack in the village of Funduq in the central West Bank.

The far-right minister called for an urgent Cabinet meeting to discuss what he called "a change in Israel's approach" in the occupied West Bank.

Jabalia was reduced to ruins amid Israel's massive offensive in northern Gaza, which Tel Aviv says aims at preventing Palestinian resistance group Hamas from regrouping. Palestinians, however, accuse Israel of aiming to occupy the area and forcibly displace its residents.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for his part, vowed to bring perpetrators of Monday's attack to "justice."

There has been no claim of responsibility for the shooting attack.

Tension has been running high across the occupied West Bank due to Israel's genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 45,850 people, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7, 2023.

At least 838 Palestinians have since been killed and more than 6,700 injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied territory, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

In November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on the enclave.