Israeli finance minister says Israel will 'totally' destroy Gaza 'within a few months’
Population will soon be ‘concentrated’ to narrow strip between border with Egypt, Morag Corridor, claims Bezalel Smotrich
JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich vowed Tuesday to destroy the Gaza Strip “within a few months” as part of an expanded genocide plan, claiming Palestinians would leave for other countries.
Israel’s Channel 12 said Smotrich made the comments at a conference on settlement policy in the illegal Ofra settlement in the occupied West Bank.
“Within a few months ... Gaza will be totally destroyed,” he said. “The Gazan citizens will be concentrated in the south. They will be totally despairing, understanding that there is no hope and nothing to look for in Gaza, and will be looking for relocation to begin a new life in other places.”
The Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper quoted Smotrich responding to a question about Gaza’s situation six months from now: “Hamas won’t exist as a functioning entity,” he said. ”The population of Gaza will be concentrated from the Morag Corridor southwards. The rest of the Strip will be empty.”
The Israeli Security Cabinet approved a plan Sunday to distribute aid in the blockaded enclave through private security contractors.
The plan, however, was rejected by the UN and dozens of international aid groups, saying it runs against humanitarian principles, is logistically unworkable and could put Palestinian civilians and staffers in harm’s way.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested a “take over” of Gaza and resettling its population to develop it into a tourist destination. His plan was rejected by the Arab world and many nations, who said it amounts to ethnic cleansing.
Israeli estimates suggest 59 captives remain in Gaza, with 24 believed alive. In contrast, more than 9,500 Palestinians remain imprisoned in Israel under harsh conditions, including reports of torture, starvation and medical neglect, according to Palestinian and Israeli rights organizations.
More than 52,600 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli onslaught since October 2023, most of them women and children.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
