Extremist Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for the occupation of large swathes of the Gaza Strip, only a few days after the Tel Aviv regime’s so-called security cabinet approved a plan by Benjamin Netanyahu for the military occupation of Gaza City.
“My plan is for large parts of Gaza to be under our control and sovereignty, and we can also settle there,” Smotrich told the Israeli public broadcaster KAN.
“This is the only way to maintain security. This is not the prime minister's plan. I know that.”
The remarks come as Smotrich cast doubts about Netanyahu's capability to secure a victory in the Gaza Strip during the recent security cabinet session.
The far-right minister opposed the gradual plan to take control of all of Gaza, as he advocates for a swift and immediate occupation via a large-scale military campaign, while also reactivating settlement activities in the coastal territory.
Following Smotrich's statement, Knesset member Zvi Sukkot threatened Netanyahu with calling early elections unless he adopted a “more aggressive war plan” for Gaza.
Netanyahu’s office in a statement on August 8 announced the Gaza takeover plan.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said the decision to occupy Gaza City, located in the north of the Palestinian region, was a “disaster that will lead to many more disasters”.
The plan will “take months, lead to the death of the hostages, the killing of many soldiers, cost tens of billions to the Israeli taxpayers, and lead to a political collapse,” he wrote in a post on X.
The occupation of Gaza City marks a significant escalation by Israel in its genocidal war on the Palestinian territory, and it is expected to result in the forced displacement of tens of thousands of weary and malnourished residents who are facing famine conditions, as Israel persists in obstructing humanitarian aid from reaching the area.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned that Israel's plan to occupy the entire Gaza Strip is “deeply worrying and puts more children at risk” due to malnutrition and lack of healthcare.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on his Twitter account that “Israel's plan to expand its military operations in Gaza is deeply worrying, given the already dire humanitarian and health situation across the Strip.”
He said “further military escalation will put more children at risk due to malnutrition and lack of healthcare.”
The WHO director-general reiterated his call for “immediate, unrestricted, and widespread access to food and health assistance” to the besieged region.
At least 61,430 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and another 153,213 individuals injured in the brutal Israeli onslaught on Gaza since October 7, 2023, according to the health ministry of Gaza.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and former minister of military affairs Yoav Gallant, citing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its war on the besieged coastal territory.
