Israel's Ben-Gvir calls for assassination of 'thousands' of Palestinians

Israel's far-right national security minister has called for a wider military operation and intensive illegal settlement campaign in the occupied West Bank, according to local media.

"There needs to be full settlement here. Not just here but on all the hilltops around us," said Itamar Ben-Gvir, a notorious trouble-maker who leads the far-right Otzma Yehudit party in PM Benjamin Netanyahu's government coalition, during a visit on Friday to the illegal hilltop outpost of Eviatar, according to the Times of Israel newspaper.

"We have to settle the land of Israel and at the same time need to launch a military campaign, blow up buildings, assassinate terrorists. Not one, or two, but dozens, hundreds, or if needed, thousands," he added.

"Because, ultimately, it is the only way we will seize this place, strengthen our hold and restore security to the residents."

His hardline remarks came as the UN human rights chief urged Israel to end the violence in the occupied West Bank immediately.

"Israel must urgently reset its policies and actions in the Occupied West Bank in line with international human rights standards, including protecting and respecting the right to life," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said in a statement.

The Israeli army on Monday carried out a series of air strikes on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, murdering at least seven Palestinians, including a boy and a girl, and wounding 91 Palestinians and seven Israeli soldiers, according to the UN statement.

On Wednesday, illegal settlers under the protection of Israeli military carried out a brutal attack on the Palestinian village of Turmus Ayya in the central West Bank, murdering one Palestinian and wounding dozens of others and burning 30 houses, 60 cars, and dozens of olive trees.

Occupied West Bank violence

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

Nearly 180 Palestinians have been murdered by Israeli forces since the start of this year, according to the Health Ministry.

At least 25 Israelis have also been murdered in separate attacks during the same period.

Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

It withdrew troops from Gaza in 2005 and has since imposed a harsh blockade from land, air and sea on the tiny Palestinian enclave, disabling the entire population from leaving or entering Gaza and choking the import and export of goods.

Estimates indicate that about 700,000 illegal settlers are living in 164 settlements and 116 outposts in the occupied West Bank.

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

New illegal outposts

The Yedioth Ahronoth daily reported at least seven new illegal outposts were built in the West Bank since Thursday.

The new construction follows Netanyahu's announcement on Wednesday of plans for 1,000 new homes in the Eli illegal settlement in response to a gun attack in the area the previous day that killed four Israelis.

According to the Israeli watchdog Peace Now, Eli was built in 1984 and some 4,600 illegal settlers reside there.

Palestinians in the area say they were dispossessed of their land to allow for the illegal settlement's expansion over the years.

Palestine's Foreign Ministry condemned Israel's new settlement projects, which it said were part of its plan to de facto annex the West Bank.

Israel is "permanently closing the door to any opportunity for a political solution to the conflict," it said.