I sraeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has sparked controversy with remarks suggesting that starving Gaza’s two million residents could be a justified measure until Israeli hostages are returned, though he acknowledged that such an approach is unlikely to receive international support. Speaking at the Katif Conference for National Responsibility in Yad Binyamin, Smotrich argued for Israeli control over aid distribution in Gaza, claiming that the current situation, with Hamas controlling distribution channels, is ineffective.
Smotrich criticized the current method, asserting that aid is funneled through Hamas, which he argued undermines efforts to combat the group. He claimed that if Israel managed aid distribution directly, the situation would improve, and hostages would be returned. However, aid groups currently manage the distribution of aid in Gaza, and while there have been reports of aid theft by Hamas, concrete evidence remains limited. US Special Envoy David Satterfield noted in February that no specific evidence of aid diversion was presented to the Biden administration.
Israel faces significant criticism from international organizations and aid groups for restricting food aid to Gaza. The United Nations has reported that famine conditions are spreading across the region, with experts accusing Israel of a targeted starvation campaign, described as a form of genocidal violence. The International Criminal Court is considering arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges related to starvation as a weapon of war. Netanyahu has denied these allegations, attributing food shortages to Hamas’s actions rather than Israeli blockades.
The ongoing conflict, which began with a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, has led to significant casualties on both sides. Israeli authorities report approximately 1,200 Israeli deaths and over 250 hostages taken, while Palestinian authorities state that over 39,000 people have been killed in Gaza.
Smotrich has proposed that Israeli control over aid should be part of the broader strategy to achieve the war’s goals. He emphasized that Gaza should be treated as a war zone, with only minimal aid—such as food, medicine, and essential sanitation—provided in the near term.
0 Comments