FALCON POWERS – The Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated on Monday that the death of 2 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip from starvation “could be just and moral” to secure the return of Israeli prisoners.
With American support, Israel has been waging a war on Gaza since October 7, 2023, which has resulted in more than 131,000 Palestinian fatalities and injuries, the majority of whom are women and children, and over 10,000 missing persons, amid massive destruction and famine that has claimed the lives of dozens of children, in one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world.
Channel 12 (private) quoted Smotrich as saying at a conference organized by the “Israel Hayom” newspaper: “We are bringing aid (to Gaza); because there is no other choice.”
For the 18th year, Israel is besieging the Gaza Strip, and its war has forced about 2 million of its 2.3 million Palestinian residents to be displaced in disastrous conditions, with severe and deliberate shortages of food, water, and medicine.
Smotrich, the leader of the far-right “Religious Zionism” party, added: “No one will allow us to cause the death of 2 million civilians from starvation, even if it is just and moral, until our hostages are returned.”
Tel Aviv is holding at least 9,500 Palestinians in its prisons, and estimates the presence of 115 Israeli prisoners in Gaza, while Hamas has announced the killing of more than 70 prisoners in random Israeli raids.
Smotrich considered that “it is impossible to destroy Hamas militarily and civilly without controlling humanitarian aid.”
He called for the Israeli army to take responsibility for distributing international humanitarian aid in Gaza during the war.
He also reiterated his opposition to any ceasefire agreement and prisoner exchange with the Palestinian factions in Gaza, saying: “We all want to bring back the abductees, (but) the (current) deal only returns a few abductees, so it is unfair and immoral, and it endangers the security of the state.”
