Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a member of the political and security cabinet, toured Judea and Samaria on Sunday and met head of the Binyamin Council Israel Gantz, heads of communities and their committee representatives, rabbis, and members of the first response teams.

During the tour, Minister Smotrich went to the town of Shiloh, where he met the representatives of the Council's security department, soldiers serving in the area, and residents, and closely examined the missing security elements in the area.

"The war in the south, dedicated to destroying Hamas and returning the hostages, directly affects the security situation in Judea and Samaria – Israel's security belt. The Palestinian Authority is not sitting idly by, and in addition to praising Hamas for the Simchat Torah massacre, they are encouraging, supporting, and abetting terrorism," said Smotrich at the end of the visit.

He added, "In the revision of the last budget, in which we transferred billions to the army and the restoration of the 'Hatkuma region,' I insisted that an adequate provisions be given to the security forces of the local councils. We will not allow this discrimination that was introduced against the communities in the region, and which lasted for years."

"Tens of thousands of soldiers live in Judea and Samaria. They left their homes and families to protect our country, and our minimum obligation as a country is to protect their families and homes. The integration of resilience and fighting on all fronts, and enhancing the elements of security and the sense of security in the north, in the south, and in Judea and Samaria is our obligation at this time - and that is what we are doing," he concluded.