Occupied Palestine (QNN)- Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir revealed plans for Israeli settlement expansion into southern Lebanon while also renewing calls to expel Palestinians from Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
Ben-Gvir made the remarks amid growing reports about direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel over the future of the northern border and broader regional arrangements backed by the United States.
“We also have plans for the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank,” Ben-Gvir said, adding that he personally hopes to see Israeli settlements established in Lebanon.
His statements came as Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich promoted what he described as a “settlement revolution” in the occupied West Bank.
Smotrich claimed that the current Israeli government legalized all new settlement outposts and approved more than 100 new settlements and 60,000 housing units across the occupied Palestinian territory.
“We have fought a long and exhausting war for two and a half years,” Smotrich said. “Even the Six-Day War did not end all wars.”
Meanwhile, Al Modon Lebanese newspaper reported on Saturday that it obtained a draft document containing clauses discussed during indirect negotiations between Lebanon and Israel under US sponsorship and support from President Donald Trump.
According to the report, the talks went beyond ceasefire arrangements and Israeli withdrawal issues. Discussions reportedly covered the future of southern Lebanon, the role of the Lebanese army, reconstruction efforts, the return of displaced residents, and the future relationship between Beirut and Israel.
The draft reportedly states that Lebanon and Israel would commit to reaching a comprehensive agreement to end the conflict and establish stable relations while affirming each country’s right to live in peace within internationally recognized borders.
The document also says Israel would withdraw from occupied Lebanese territories and abandon any territorial expansion ambitions. In return, Lebanon would commit to restoring full state sovereignty and ensuring that only the Lebanese army controls weapons and security operations inside the country.
The proposal further links reconstruction efforts and the return of displaced Lebanese residents to direct negotiations and security arrangements supported by Washington.
The developments come as tensions continue to rise across the region. On Thursday, Israeli settlers carried out attacks across Jerusalem’s Old City before the annual “Flag March” marking Israel’s occupation of the eastern part of Jerusalem.
Hundreds of settlers also stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque under heavy Israeli police protection while authorities imposed sweeping restrictions on Palestinians in the occupied city.
Earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Smotrich, and Ben-Gvir sharply attacked the European Union after it imposed sanctions on Israeli settlers and settlement organizations involved in attacks across the occupied West Bank.
