The far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Saturday, 4 March 2023 that what the Israeli settlers did in Hawara town was not terrorism.

In new racist remarks, Smotrich backed the Israeli settlers’ terrorism against the Palestinain people across the occupied West Bank, asserting that Sunday’s rampage on Hawara was not terrorism.

Last Sunday, hundreds of armed Israeli settlers attacked Huwara and nearby villages and torched dozens of houses and cars. Israeli settlers killed one Palestinian and injured more than 100 others during the attack which came amid a spike of violence in the occupied Palestinian lands.

Earlier on Wednesday, the far-right Finance Minister said the Palestinian village of Huwara should be “wiped out” days after colonial settlers went on a rampage in the occupied West Bank villages, killing one Palestinain father and burning dozens of houses and cars.

“I think the village of Huwara needs to be wiped out. I think the state of Israel should do it,” Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich, who also handles civil administration in the occupied West Bank.

Tensions have escalated between Palestinians and Israeli colonial settlers amid intensified Israeli deadly military raids in occupied Palestinian territories.

Palestinian officials said this was the deadliest start to a year there since 2000. 64 Palestinians have been killed over the last two months across the occupied Palestinian lands.