Israel’s Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has declared the “voluntary immigration” of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip as a political objective of the government, as reported by Anadolu Agency on Monday.
During a press conference, Smotrich outlined the government’s strategy, stating, “The political goal is to destroy Hamas, encourage (Palestinian civilians to leave), and take control of Gaza.”
He emphasized the importance of demobilizing the Gaza Strip and ensuring long-term security for Israel, stating, “The army’s full operational control of the entire Gaza Strip for years to come, ensuring that a security threat does not develop from there again against the citizens of Israel, and the residents of the south is a political goal.”
Smotrich reiterated his opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian State, in response to recent reports of joint US-Arab efforts to finalize a peace plan including a timeframe for Palestinian statehood. He warned, “The establishment of a Palestinian State in the heart of the land Israel and near all major population centers is an existential danger to the future of the State of Israel, and we will never agree to that.”
Furthermore, Smotrich proposed unilateral actions by Israel, including the cancellation of the Oslo Accords, cessation of funding to the Palestinian Authority, and dissolution of the authority altogether.
The Oslo Accords, signed in 1993 between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel, aimed to establish a form of civil rule for Palestinians but failed to lead to a peace agreement and the creation of a Palestinian State.
Peace negotiations sponsored by the US collapsed in April 2014 due to disputes over Israeli settlement building and the release of Palestinian detainees.
Meanwhile, Israel’s recent military offensive on the Gaza Strip, launched following a Hamas attack on October 7th, has led to significant casualties and widespread destruction. The UN reports that nearly 29,092 people have been killed and about 69,028 injured, with mass displacement and critical shortages of essentials such as food, clean water, and medicine.
Approximately 85% of Gaza’s population has been internally displaced, and 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.
Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, with an interim ruling in January ordering Tel Aviv to cease genocidal acts and ensure humanitarian assistance reaches civilians in Gaza.
