Israel’s far-right minister Smotrich wants total Gaza destruction

Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s far-right finance minister, said on Tuesday that for him an Israeli victory in Gaza would mean its complete destruction and the displacement of its residents.

Speaking at a settler conference in the West Bank, Smotrich responded to a question about what victory in the Gaza war would look like for him.

“Gaza completely destroyed,” he said. Smotrich further stated that residents should be concentrated in a “humanitarian zone” in the far south of the coastal strip, south of the former Israeli settlement of Morag. From there, they should leave Gaza in large numbers and move to other countries.

The minister claimed that within six months, there would no longer be any Hamas presence in Gaza.

Israel plans to permanently occupy Gaza

The Israeli government has instructed the army to capture the Gaza Strip and maintain a long-term occupation. Tens of thousands of reservists are being mobilized for the large-scale offensive.

According to government sources, the plan also includes moving the Palestinian population from the north to the south of the territory. The government has stated that its goal is to defeat the Palestinian Islamist terrorist organization Hamas and secure the release of hostages held by the Islamist extremists.

However, far-right politicians like Smotrich are also pushing for the re-establishment of Israeli settlements in Gaza, which Israel withdrew from 20 years ago.