The Minister of Finance of Israel, Bezalel Smotrich, asked on Monday (17) to the country’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who occupies 10% of the Gaza Strip when the first phase of ceasefire finishes on March 2 .
“I ask the prime minister to occupy 10% of Gaza’s territory, establish full control over him and impose Israeli sovereignty,” Smotrich said in a statement.
The minister, who resides in an Israeli settlement in the West Bank (illegal in the eyes of international law), also asked the return to war to be declared “immediately” after the first phase was completed.
“All humanitarian aid will be completely interrupted and, according to the plan developed these days, Gaza residents will be able to leave the track in a single direction, unable to return,” he said.
The Israeli finance minister went beyond his comments, and threatened that Israel should occupy 5% more of the gaza range “for each hair that falls from the head of his hostages.” Of the 251 kidnapped by Hamas terrorists in the attacks of October 7, 2023, 70 are still in the Palestinian enclave, and three previously captured.
With these requirements, Smotrich announced his intention to promote a government vote to adopt the plans of US President Donald Trump to the territory and send an ultimatum to Hamas: “Return the hostages, leave Gaza to other countries and Disarm. ”
Smotrich also threatened that if Hamas does not fulfill the ultimatum, Israel will open “the gates of hell” in Gaza. Trump was the first to use this expression, which was quickly coined by Netanyahu. The prime minister said he even argued with the US government “when” opening the gates of hell in the Gaza Strip.
According to Smotrich, this would imply a total occupation of the enclave and the complete interruption of access to humanitarian aid, water, electricity and fuel.
In addition, “opening hell gates” would also mean moving the population to Al Mawasi, where most of the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip have already been displaced.
“From there, Israel will immediately begin to migrate their residents to other countries,” he added.
Territorially, the consequences of not delivering the hostages would be the north attachment of the Enclave, the safety perimeter between Gaza and Israel range and the Philadelphia corridor (the border between Palestinian territory and Egypt).