The Israeli Cabinet minister announces a crackdown on “environmental terrorism,” including making Ramallah pay for addressing the problem.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also serves as an additional minister within the Defense Ministry with authority over civil affairs in Judea and Samaria, announced over the weekend that Israel will deduct costs from Palestinian Authority funds to address waste fires in the area, calling the issue a threat to national security.

Smotrich said on Dec. 18 that Israel will confiscate Palestinian waste trucks and hire contractors to extinguish fires and remove waste, with expenses deducted from tax and tariff revenue that Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority. The announcement followed an emergency meeting with Defense Minister Israel Katz and local officials.