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Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has renewed his call for the occupation of the Gaza Strip and the establishment of a military government there, prompting sharp criticism from opposition leader Yair Lapid, who described the proposal as “delusional”.
According to the Israeli newspaper Maariv, Smotrich told a press conference on Monday evening that “the goal is to occupy Gaza, establish a military government, build Israeli settlements in the Strip, and encourage the voluntary emigration of Gaza’s residents”.
His remarks come despite the implementation last October of a plan promoted by US President Donald Trump aimed at ending the war in Gaza. Smotrich, a leading figure on the far right, has consistently advocated for Israeli control over the territory.
READ: Israel will not withdraw ‘one millmeter’ from Gaza, defence minister says
Lapid responded by accusing the minister of living “in a fantasy world”. He said Smotrich appeared disconnected from current realities on the ground.
“There are 30,000 Hamas militants in Gaza, and the Peace Council includes Turkey and Qatar,” Lapid said, adding that the technocratic body established to administer Gaza was, in practice, under the authority of the Palestinian Authority.
He also pointed to the reopening of the Rafah crossing, noting that Palestinian Authority officials were stamping passports of those entering Gaza.
“I have no problem with Smotrich living in a world of fantasy,” Lapid added. “Fantasy is legitimate — but why is he discussing it in the media?”
READ: Smotrich rejects mixed-gender service in army as soldiers’ mothers call for his dismissal
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
