DayofPal– Israel’s Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, declared on Monday that Israel must “occupy the entir” northern Gaza, asserting the necessity of maintaining an indefinite presence there. This statement comes amidst accusations that Israel is perpetrating ethnic cleansing, under Generals’ Plan, in northern Gaza.
Smotrich told reporters in the Knesset that “In order to return the hostages, we need to occupy the entire northern Gaza Strip, and inform Hamas unequivocally that if the hostages are not returned home safe and sound, we will apply Israeli sovereignty there and remain forever, and Gaza will lose a third of its territory.”
Speaking to Israel’s Army Radio on Monday, Smotrich called on the Israeli occupation army to administer both humanitarian aid and security in the besieged Gazan enclave.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini told reporters in Geneva, Switzerland on Monday that there is no plan B to provide aid in Gaza without UNRWA.
The only alternative to UNRWA’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Lazzarini said, repeating calls for countries to resist the Israeli ban on the organization, which is set to come into effect in January.
The [Israeli army’s] refusal to take responsibility for distributing humanitarian aid in the Strip is a bigger failure than 7 October, and is a big part of the reason the kidnapped soldiers are not here yet,” he said.
He added that despite the demands and insistence of Israel’s political sphere, “the Israeli army strongly refused to take on anything that smelled of military administration”.
“If this is what is required in order to ensure security, then I am not afraid that we will be an alternative authority in the Strip for a certain period in order to eliminate Hamas.”
Since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, Smorrich has repeatedly made inflammatory and racist remarks that call for Israel to annex the Gaza Strip and reestablish Israeli settlements there.
Last week, he announced that 2025 would be the year to fully annex the West Bank and eliminate “the danger” of a Palestinian state, stressing that Trump’s victory in the U.S. election will be an asset to achieve this goal.
On November 14, 2023, Smotrich stated: “I welcome the initiative of the voluntary emigration of Gaza Arabs to countries around the world.. This is the right humanitarian solution for the residents of Gaza and the entire region after 75 years of refugees, poverty and danger.”
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