Israel’s National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has publicly threatened to target senior Palestinian Authority (PA) officials if the United Nations moves to grant Palestine formal state recognition. Speaking on Monday at a meeting of his Otzma Yehudit party, Ben-Gvir labelled PA leaders as “terrorists” and asserted that a UN-backed Palestinian state would justify targeted killings of its senior officials.
The remarks have provoked swift condemnation from the Palestinian leadership. In a statement, the PA Foreign Ministry described Ben-Gvir’s comments as “systematic incitement” and urged the international community to hold him accountable. The office of President Mahmoud Abbas stressed that the Israeli government is ultimately responsible for the minister’s threats.
The threat coincides with heightened international diplomatic activity. The UN Security Council is scheduled to vote on a ceasefire proposal for Gaza and a US-backed plan to establish an international stability force in the territory. The proposals also include support for Palestinian self-governance and the establishment of a reliable roadmap for statehood.
Ben-Gvir additionally claimed that if UN members recognise a Palestinian state, President Abbas should be arrested, asserting that a solitary confinement cell for him is already prepared in Israel’s Ketziot prison.
Israel has historically opposed the creation of a Palestinian state under PA leadership, despite recognising Israel and coordinating security in the West Bank. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition remain firm in their opposition to a sovereign Palestinian state. Ben-Gvir has further claimed that Palestinians are largely descendants of Arab immigrants who have engaged in terror and violence, reiterating support for policies critics see as aimed at the ethnic eradication of Palestinians.
US proposals envisage Gaza’s administration under an international Board of Peace, with a technologically assisted Palestinian administration and stability force on the ground. Hamas and other Gaza-based resistance groups have criticised the plan, arguing it imposes foreign control over Palestinian political decision-making, restricts resistance rights, and risks undermining local humanitarian aid distribution.
