Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stormed the Palestinian city of Umm al-Fahm on Sunday under heavy police protection, in what the local municipality condemned as a “provocative and unacceptable intrusion.”

During the visit, Ben-Gvir called for expanded demolition of Palestinian homes and facilities under the pretext of lacking permits. Local officials rejected his remarks, stressing that such measures are political incitement designed to spread fear and deepen oppression.

The visit came a day after a mass demonstration in Umm al-Fahm against the genocide in Gaza, during which Israeli police violently dispersed crowds, assaulting women and arresting several protesters.

Ben-Gvir, a key figure in the Israeli government’s far-right bloc, has long championed policies of forced displacement, annexation of the West Bank, and incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque as part of broader efforts to erase Palestinian presence and identity.