Latest news with #Strock
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘No reason' to remain in gov't after ‘surrender' to Hamas, Religious Zionist MK Orit Strock says
A spokesperson for Strock confirmed that the recording was authentic. Settlement and National Missions Minister Orit Strock (Religious Zionist Party) may leave the government following the decision by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the weekend to enable 'localized humanitarian ceasefires,' according to recordings of Strock from a meeting on Sunday, first published by Israel Hayom. A spokesperson for Strock confirmed that the recording was authentic. 'What's happening in Gaza right now is extremely difficult. There's no formal surrender document, but it looks like a surrender. A surrender by us – by Israel, yes? It's simply terrible and appalling,' Strock said in the recording. 'I could understand those who say that in exchange for hostages, you bring in humanitarian aid – or that in exchange for hostages, you grant them a ceasefire,' she added. 'Now it's not in exchange for anything. I just can't understand it from my point of view. If the prime minister doesn't give me an explanation – not an explanation, actions – that he's heading for victory, I have no reason to be there [in the government],' the minister said. 'But I hope he'll be able to convince me with actions that he's heading toward victory and not surrender. If this is surrender, we have no reason to be there. We've always said that's the red line. It's tough, really tough. This is a very difficult morning,' the recording concluded. Smotrich remains quiet during Netanyahu's decision Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, the leader of Strock's party, told his MKs that "It's not right to make political considerations in war. We will be tested by the results - Hamas's decision. "We are promoting a good strategic move, but it's not worth expanding on it right now," he continued. "We will know in a short time whether it pays off and where we are headed." A spokesperson for Smotrich said he was not involved in the decision to launch the humanitarian ceasefires and did not know about the decision in advance. A member of Smotrich's party said that he and Netanyahu had communicated during the day, but at press time on Sunday, Smotrich had yet to make a public statement. Amichai Stein contributed to this report. Solve the daily Crossword
Shafaq News
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Israeli Minister Strock: Dismantling Hamas priority regardless of hostage risk
Shafaq News – Middle East On Monday, Israeli Minister of Settlements and National Missions, Orit Strock, urged the military to expand its operations into every part of Gaza, including areas believed to hold hostages—a position critics warn could jeopardize their lives. 'There must not be 'don't touch me' zones in Gaza,' Strock told Kol Barama radio. 'Leaving them intact endangers the residents of border communities and the entire south.' Strock, a member of the far-right Religious Zionism party, acknowledged the risk to hostages but insisted that dismantling Hamas infrastructure must take precedence, claiming militants based in those zones regularly launch attacks on southern Israel and attempt to capture soldiers. 'To win, Israel must take full control of those areas and prevent them from remaining terrorist strongholds—both above and below ground.' Her comments sparked immediate backlash from the Hostages Families Forum, which accused her of treating captives as expendable. The forum condemned her stance as 'a disgrace to the [Israeli] government,' adding that 'it's unsurprising coming from someone who has, since the beginning, been a stubborn obstacle to securing their release.' Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack, which followed years of blockade and military tensions, killed about 1,200 Israelis and led to 251 hostages being taken. In response, Israel launched a massive military campaign that has killed more than 58,800 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. So far, Israel has reportedly rescued eight hostages alive and recovered several bodies. Officials estimate 56 hostages remain in Gaza, with about one-third thought to be alive. Israel and Hamas have also engaged in limited prisoner exchanges since the outbreak of war in October 2023, resulting in the release of dozens of hostages and Palestinian detainees as part of temporary ceasefire arrangements.
