A right-wing Israeli minister has stated that Israel’s victory won’t be achieved until Gaza is “entirely destroyed” and Palestinians are relocated to other countries.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich expressed this view during a conference focused on Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Despite his senior position, Smotrich’s statement does not reflect Israel’s official government policy.
He addressed the attendees, predicting, “Within a year we will be able to declare victory in Gaza. Gaza will be entirely destroyed, civilians will be sent to the south to a humanitarian zone without Hamas or terrorism, and from there, they will begin to relocate in large numbers to third countries,” as reported by Agence France-Presse.
“Israel does not intend to withdraw from territories the IDF captures, not even as part of a deal to release hostages,” he added.
Dubbed Operation Gideon’s Chariots, the plan would also seek to prevent the militant Hamas group from distributing humanitarian aid, which Israel says strengthens the group’s rule in Gaza. It also accuses Hamas of keeping the aid for itself to bolster its capabilities. The plan also included powerful strikes against Hamas targets, the officials said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he approved an “intensive” plan for IDF operations in Gaza. (Israeli Government Press Office via AP)
“We want our troops to fight against a tired, hungry, and exhausted enemy, not one that has supplies and aid coming from outside the strip,” Smotrich said in a statement on Monday.
Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
