Israel's new far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has instructed police to remove Palestinian flags from public places, Reuters reported.

Israeli law does not ban Palestinian flags, but police and soldiers have the right to take them down when they believe there is a threat to public order.

Ben-Gvir said waving the Palestinian flag is an act of support for terrorism.

There can be no lawbreakers waving terrorist flags, inciting and encouraging terrorism, so I ordered the removal of flags supporting terrorism from public space and an end to incitement against Israel, Ben-Gvir said.

Arabs in Israel make up about a fifth of the population, and most of them are descendants of Palestinians who remained in the newly formed state after the 1948 war of independence.