'All of Gaza will be Jewish': Heritage minister claims Israel working to resettle Gaza
Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu suggested Israel is planning to resume Jewish settlement in Gaza in Thursday morning interview on Kol Barama radio.
"The government is rushing to erase Gaza, and thank God we are erasing this evil. All of Gaza will be Jewish,' Eliyahu said in the interview.
He added, "We don't need to be concerned about hunger in the Strip. We have completely lost our minds."
Opposition head Yair Lapid responded to Eliyahu's statement saying his words, "are a moral attack and a propaganda disaster. Israel will never convince the world of the justice of our war against terror as long as we are led by an extremist minority government with ministers who sanctify blood and death.
"IDF soldiers do not fight, are killed, and injured to wipe out a civilian population. They fight to return the kidnapped and ensure Israel's security," Lapid said.
An ongoing rhetoric of far-Right figures in Israeli politics
Eliyahu's remarks reflect rhetoric from far-right figures in Israeli politics, led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. On Tuesday, Smotrich participated in the "Riviera in Gaza – From Vision to Reality" conference at the Knesset, where a "practical" plan was presented to establish a lasting Jewish presence in the Gaza Strip.
During the conference, Smotrich revealed, "The chief of staff told me a week ago that the northern border of the Gaza Strip needs to be annexed for security reasons." The event's organizers claimed they had outlined "social, legal, security, and logistical models" for the settlement proposal but refrained from providing further details.
Attendees included ministers, Knesset members, local council heads, security officials from the Gaza border communities, bereaved families, representatives of hostage families, and others.
Both Smotrich and Eliyahu's comments have drawn significant backlash. Democrats MK Gilad Kariv accused them of inciting war crimes. "Their positions are not aligned with any government or Knesset decisions, nor are they part of the war objectives set by the cabinet. In fact, the leaders of the defense establishment oppose them," Kariv remarked.
Kariv also warned of the potential consequences: "Their words endanger IDF soldiers and commanders, inflict strategic harm on Israel's global standing, erode social cohesion within the country, and undermine the values of the IDF and the fundamental principles of Israel as both a Jewish and democratic state.
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.
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