Smotrich calls for 'Israel's' complete occupation of northern Gaza

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
19 Nov 2024 08:13

The Israeli Finance Minister advocates for the continuation of the Israeli war on the Palestinian territory until the return of Israeli captives held there.

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Israeli politician Betzalel Smotrich gestures as he speaks during a conference in al-Quds, Sunday, March 7, 2021 (AP)

Israeli occupation Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged Monday for the full occupation of the northern Gaza Strip to force Hamas to release Israeli captives.

“To bring the hostages home, we must occupy northern Gaza entirely and tell Hamas that if they don’t return them, we will stay there forever, costing Gaza a third of its territory,” Smotrich told a meeting of his Religious Zionism Party.

Since October 5, the Israeli occupation military has imposed a tight siege on northern Gaza, under the pretext of preventing the Palestinian Resistance from regrouping.

According to Gaza health authorities, the strict siege has resulted in the killing of over 2,000 Palestinians.

Smotrich, advocating for the continuation of the Israeli war on the Palestinian territory, rejected the notion of a ceasefire with Hamas.

“Reaching an agreement with Hamas to end the war would mean surrender and defeat,” he pointed out

“We will continue until Hamas is eliminated and an agreement is reached under which it surrenders. We won’t stop until our enemies are destroyed and security is fully restored to the State of Israel,” he said.

While the Israeli army continues to grapple with achieving its objectives in Gaza, the Israeli Minister claimed that "by the end of this war, we will have full freedom of action in Gaza and will not accept any settlement worth less than the paper it’s written on.”

In late October, the Israeli Minister said that in the wake of the October 2023 events, the Israeli regime “can and must apply Israeli sovereignty in [the West Bank] and in Gaza."

Speaking at the so-called Middle East Summit, a conference hosted by Israel 365—a media platform targeting American evangelicals—Smotrich argued that "Israel" should abandon “wrong concepts” of a "two-state solution".

He called for an “unequivocal Israeli statement” to the Arab world and beyond, declaring that “a Palestinian state will not be established.”

This stance, Smotrich emphasized, should be underscored by “the establishment of new cities and settlements deep in the [West Bank] and bringing hundreds of thousands of additional settlers to live in them.”

The Israeli Minister further advocated for Israeli control over the Gaza Strip, pointing out that last year's events represented “painful evidence” that the prolonged absence of a military presence in the besieged Palestinian territory endangers "Israel" and Israeli settlers, "and we must not allow this.”

Smotrich pledges West Bank 'annexation' in 2025

His latest controversial statement on Monday comes a week after he also announced his commitment to "annexing" Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank by 2025, seeing Donald Trump's return to the US presidency as "an important opportunity."

"The year 2025 will be, with God's help, the year of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria," he said, using the biblical name for the West Bank, which "Israel" has occupied since 1967.

Smotrich, whose portfolio also includes responsibilities within the Israeli Security Ministry, said he had initiated preparations for "applying sovereignty" over Israeli settlements.

Addressing parliament, he mentioned directing the director of settlement affairs in the Security Ministry and the so-called Civil Administration to "prepare the necessary infrastructure for sovereignty."

Smotrich congratulated US President-elect Donald Trump on his "incredible and sweeping victory," suggesting it presents "an important opportunity" for "Israel".

"During his first term, President Trump led dramatic moves," he noted.

These included recognizing "Israel’s" "sovereignty" over the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, relocating the US embassy to occupied al-Quds, and brokering normalization agreements between "Israel" and several Arab nations, known as the "Abraham Accords".

Before the accords, "Israel" had planned to "annex" major settlement blocs in the occupied West Bank, a plan postponed as the agreements were formalized.

"We were on the verge of applying sovereignty over the settlements in Judea and Samaria," Smotrich said. "Now is the time to do it."

He indicated plans to work closely with the incoming US administration on this issue.