Illegal settlers' life more important than trade of Palestinians — Ben-Gvir

Israel's extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has reiterated a controversial statement, claiming that the life of illegal Israeli settlers is more important than the movement and trade of Palestinians.

Ben-Gvir made his racist and incendiary remarks on Friday while commenting on the Israeli army closure of Palestinian shops in Huwara town, north of the occupied West Bank.

"Our lives come before the freedom of movement [and trade] of the 'Palestinians'. We will continue to tell this truth and work towards its realisation," he said, and intentionally put the word Palestinians between quotation marks as a sign of his non-recognition of them.

Early in August, Ben-Gvir also made a similar statement, saying his right to move around the occupied West Bank is superior to the freedom of movement of Palestinians.

"My right, the right of my wife and my children to move around Judea and Samaria, is more important than freedom of movement for the Arabs," he told an Israeli local channel.

His statement in August sparked wide criticism and condemnations from across the world, including from the US, which said Ben-Gvir's remarks were "inflammatory" and had a "racist rhetoric."

Earlier this week, Ben-Gvir said spitting at Christians was "not criminal".

His comments came after a video purportedly showing ultra-Orthodox Jews spitting on the ground beside a procession of foreign Christian worshipers carrying a wooden cross in the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem that ignited intense outrage and a flurry of condemnation.

Ben-Gvir leads the extremist Otzma Yehudit party which espouses racist, anti-Arab policies. Ben-Gvir has previous convictions for inciting racism and supporting terrorism.

Israeli raids into Palestinian territories

Tensions have been running high across the occupied West Bank in recent months amid repeated Israeli incursions into Palestinian towns.

More than 230 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops since the start of 2023, according to Palestine's Health Ministry.

At least 35 Israelis have also been killed in Palestinian attacks during the same period, the highest Israeli toll since 2005.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980, a move never recognised by the international community.

In besieged Gaza, the 2.3 million residents live under a crippling Israeli blockade, from land, sea and air, which critics say amounts to collective punishment.

Palestine sees East Jerusalem, along with Gaza, as part of the country, with East Jerusalem as the capital.

Almost 700,000 illegal Israeli settlers live in over 130 settlements dotting the occupied West Bank alongside nearly three million Palestinians living under Israeli military occupation.

Under international law, all Jewish settlements in occupied territories are considered illegal.