A senior Israeli minister has said Israel should not consider itself victorious until Gaza is “entirely destroyed” and Palestinians are forced into exile.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich made the remarks on Tuesday at a pro-settlement conference in the occupied West Bank, insisting civilians should be pushed to southern Gaza and encouraged to emigrate to third countries. His views, however, do not reflect the official policy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
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Smotrich’s comments follow Cabinet approval of a military plan to expand operations in Gaza should a hostage deal fail. The proposal includes a prolonged Israeli presence and further displacement of Palestinians to southern areas. The Prime Minister has said the upcoming phase would be “intensive,” with an emphasis on dismantling Hamas.
The plan, scheduled to be triggered if no breakthrough is reached before former U.S. President Donald Trump’s expected visit on 13 May, would see Israeli forces push deeper into Gaza’s south.
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