Gaza should be wiped out for ‘Zionist reasons’ – Israeli minister

Bezalel Smotrich has described the enclave’s population as “1.8 million Nazis” and called for the territory to be completely taken over, while denying this would constitute genocide Gaza should be wiped out entirely, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has said, describing its inhabitants as “Nazis” and demanding that Israel take the entire territory for “Zionist and security reasons.” Speaking at a public event on Monday, the Religious Zionist Party leader defended his previous endorsement of a call to wipe out Huwara, a Palestinian town in the occupied West Bank.

He claimed critics had misrepresented his remarks as advocating the killing of women and children.

“Yes, we need to wipe out Gaza, for example.

Not commit genocide, God forbid,” Smotrich said.

He described Gaza as a “terror entity with 1.8 million Nazis” educated over generations to hate Israel, claiming they were capable of slaughter, rape and murdering children.

Such an entity “should not exist,” he said, adding that the same applied to Huwara.

Read more What three years of the Gaza war reveal about Israel and the world Smotrich went on to demand full Israeli ownership of the enclave.

“I don’t want Gush Katif.

I want all of Gaza,” he said, referring to the Israeli settlement bloc evacuated in 2005.

“I want Gaza to be ours.

I want it for Zionist reasons.

I want it for security reasons.” Smotrich and fellow coalition minister Itamar Ben-Gvir have repeatedly advocated renewed Israeli settlement in Gaza.

Last month, Ben-Gvir unveiled a proposal to move most residents abroad over seven years under the label “voluntary migration,” despite Palestinians’ opposition to leaving.

Smotrich, a West Bank settler who also oversees civilian affairs in the occupied territory, has backed settlement expansion intended to prevent Palestinian statehood.