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Middle East Eye
3 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Israel 'racing' to wipe out Gaza, heritage minister says
Israeli Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu said on Thursday that the government is 'racing ahead for Gaza to be wiped out', as daily air strikes continue to kill dozens of Palestinians. 'Thank God, we are wiping out this evil,' he said during an interview with Haredi radio station Kol Barama. 'All Gaza will be Jewish,' he added. Eliyahu, a member of the far-right Jewish Power party led by Itamar Ben Gvir, also said that 'there is no hunger in Gaza". 'But we don't need to be concerned with hunger in the strip,' he continued. 'Let the world worry about it.' New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Over 100 humanitarian agencies signed a letter on Wednesday sounding the alarm over Israel-imposed starvation in Gaza, where at least 45 Palestinians have died from malnutrition over the past week, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Eliyahu's comments drew immediate criticism from Israel's ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, who urged the minister to retract his statement during a tense private phone call, according to the Jerusalem Post. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Eliyahu "does not speak for the government I lead". 'He is not a member of the Security Cabinet that determines the conduct of the war,' Netanyahu added. Nuking Gaza Eliyahu has previously discussed using nuclear weapons in Gaza, telling a radio host in 2023 that 'that's one option' for Israeli military strategy in the besieged enclave. These comments drew a reprimand from Netanyahu, though Eliyahu retained his ministerial role despite calls for his immediate removal, following a brief suspension from cabinet meetings. Later that year, in December, Eliyahu called for the execution of Palestinian prisoners after his Jewish Power party submitted a controversial draft law on the matter to the Israeli parliament. 'We are a law-abiding state, but we urgently need to refer them to God so that they are not released in deals,' said Eliyahu, according to Ynet.
Shafaq News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Israeli minister calls for Jewish Gaza
Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu has drawn sharp condemnation after calling for Gaza to be 'wiped out' and resettled exclusively with Jews. Speaking to Israeli radio station Kol Barama, Eliyahu praised what he described as the government's effort to 'wipe out this evil,' referring to Gaza's population as one 'educated on Mein Kampf,' Adolf Hitler's manifesto. He added that future Jewish towns in the Strip 'won't be fenced in inside cantons.' Opposition leader Yair Lapid denounced the remarks as 'a moral attack and an explanatory disaster that severely damages Israel's credibility,' stressing that 'Israeli soldiers are not dying to exterminate civilians, but to secure hostages and protect the country's safety." דברי השר אליהו הם פיגוע ערכי ואסון הסברתי. ישראל לעולם לא תשכנע את העולם בצדקת המלחמה שלנו נגד הטרור כל עוד מובילה אותנו ממשלת מיעוט קיצונית עם שרים שמקדשים דם ומוות.לוחמי צה"ל לא נלחמים, נהרגים ונפצעים כדי למחוק אוכלוסיה אזרחית. הם נלחמים כדי להחזיר את החטופים ולהבטיח את… — יאיר לפיד - Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) July 24, 2025 Eliyahu, a member of the ultranationalist Otzma Yehudit party—often described as 'racist' for its openly anti-Arab stance—made the remarks as international scrutiny intensifies over Israel's stated objectives in Gaza, where hunger now grips the entire population. On Thursday alone, 17 Palestinians were reported killed, including three while seeking aid.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
'All of Gaza will be Jewish': Heritage minister claims Israel working to resettle Gaza
"The government is rushing to erase Gaza, and thank God we are erasing this evil. All of Gaza will be Jewish,' Eliyahu stated in the interview. 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. Solve the daily Crossword
