°®Âþµº

US officials have expressed concern that Israel's next defence minister may be from , the American news website Axios reported on Wednesday.

Axios said the Biden administration was keeping a close eye on the issue, because of the power attached to the position.

The Israeli defence minister is responsible not only for the Israeli military and its budget, but also for policy towards Palestinians in the West Bank, security ties with the Palestinian Authority, approval of , and handling .

Israel is currently engaged in which has killed and injured hundreds of Palestinians.

A won Israeli elections earlier this month.

The coalition includes both and of the Religious Zionism movement, both of whom have expressed violent racism against Palestinians.

There is particular concern that Smotrich will be given the post of defence minister. The far-right leader has called for building more settlements, annexing parts of the West Bank, and escalating violence against Palestinians.

He previously said that Israel's founding Prime Minister David Ben Gurion should have "finished the job" and expelled all Palestinians from their homes when Israel was established on Palestinian land in 1948.

Smotrich has also called for segregating Palestinian and Jewish women on maternity wards in hospitals.

When he visited the UK in February 2022, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, a pro-Israel group, .

Axios reported that if Smotrich is given the defence portfolio, he will shut down the Israeli COGAT civilian administration in the West Bank and transfer its role to Israeli government ministries. This would amount to a de facto annexation.