On Monday (November 11th) local time, Israel's newly appointed Defense Minister Katz stated that Iran's nuclear facilities are more vulnerable than ever after Israel's airstrikes on Iran's air defense facilities on October 26th. However, his suggestion to strike Iran's nuclear facilities did not have a significant impact on international oil prices.
At a meeting held by the Israeli Defense Forces General Staff, Katz stated, "Iran's nuclear facilities are now more vulnerable to destruction than ever before. Israel has the potential to achieve its most important goal, which is to defeat and eliminate the threat posed by Iran to Israel." Katz said during the meeting that his office provided such comments.
When it comes to military actions against Lebanon, Katz stated that Israel will not cease fire with Hezbollah until the war objectives are achieved, nor will it give Hezbollah any breathing space. If this possibility arises and a good plan is proposed that allows us to declare victory... we will definitely consider it very seriously
Regarding the Gaza conflict, Katz stated that the most important goal is to secure the release of detainees. We will make every effort to bring them home and ensure that Hamas is defeated
In recent months, due to differences of opinion on some key policies and positions, there have been significant personnel changes in the Israeli cabinet, with Galant dismissed last week and Katz taking over as Defense Minister.
Iranian Foreign Minister Alaghi stated last week that Iran will definitely respond to Israel's attack on Iran on October 26th at the appropriate time, in the appropriate manner, with a "thoughtful and well planned" approach.
There are reports that Iran may launch more powerful warheads than in the previous attack to retaliate against Israel. General Salami, commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said the consequences facing Israel would be "unimaginable".
Seeking to completely annex the West Bank of the Jordan River
On the same day, Israeli Finance Minister and far right politician Smotrich stated that he hopes Israel can extend its sovereignty to the West Bank by 2025 and has "instructed to prepare for the extension of sovereignty to the West Bank".
Smotrich also stated that he hopes the new US administration, namely the Trump administration, can "recognize Israel's sovereignty actions in the West Bank region".
He told the Israeli parliament that Trump's victory in the US election "brings a significant opportunity to Israel". We are about to exercise sovereignty over the settlements in the West Bank of the Jordan River, and now is the time to do so
However, earlier on Monday, Israeli Foreign Minister Saar stated that the government's position on extending sovereignty to the West Bank of the Jordan River has not yet been determined.
Saar claimed, "A decision has not yet been made on this issue, but it may be raised during talks with future US governments
The Palestinian side accuses that Smotrich's speech confirms the Israeli government's intention to annex the West Bank of the Jordan River in disregard of international law. We believe that the Israeli authorities are fully responsible for the consequences of these dangerous policies. The United States is also responsible for its continued support of Israel's aggression
The Palestinian armed group Hamas, which is currently fighting in Gaza, emphasized that Smotrich's remarks confirm the "colonial intent of occupation" and refute the claims of those who have illusions about achieving peaceful coexistence with Israel.
For decades, the United States has supported the two-state solution between Israel and Palestine and urged Israel not to expand settlements. But in 2020, during Trump's first term, Israel and the United States discussed plans to annex parts of the West Bank.