[67578] Smotrich in response to arrest warrants from The Hague: "The Palestinian Authority has declared war - and will receive war"

Finance Minister in response to the Hague Tribunal: "We will fight back"

Following reports of the request for arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared that Israel would respond with firm measures against the Palestinian Authority. According to Amit Segal, the minister defined the political move as an attempt "to force a policy of security suicide upon us" and stated: "The Palestinian Authority has declared war and it will receive war".

As an immediate step, many channels, including Abu Ali Express and Dafna Liel, reported that Smotrich signed an order for the evacuation of the Khan al-Ahmar outpost. The minister clarified that he intends to use his powers as Finance Minister and as a minister within the Ministry of Defense to harm the economic targets of the PA, including by withholding tax clearance funds and removing the indemnity protection for banks in Israel regarding their activities with financial institutions in the Palestinian Authority.

While most sources, such as Yinon Magal, emphasized the minister's determination in his actions, Ynet News took a more neutral journalistic line in covering the political confrontation. Smotrich's response is perceived in the political system as part of the government's sweeping opposition to the arrest warrants, with the minister declaring that these are "hypocritical dictates by biased bodies that always stand time after time against the State of Israel" (according to Dafna Liel).