Israel’s answer to video of emaciated hostage must be ‘total destruction’ of Hamas, Smotrich declares

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says Israel will not give in to Hamas’s attempts at “manipulation” and will instead continue to fight “at full force” after the terror group released footage of hostage Evyatar David, who appeared severely emaciated and weak.

“Hamas’ goal in releasing the videos of the hostages is not to give us a sign of life, of course, but to be emotionally manipulative, abuse families, and tear apart our hearts, and, through the terror of manipulation, pressure us to surrender and stop the war before it is destroyed,” muses the far-right Religious Zionism leader.

“Obviously, this will not happen,” he says. “The answer to the cruel abuse of the hostages must be the complete destruction of this pure evil from the face of the earth, and the unconditional return of the hostages.”

He says the fight against Hamas must continue “at full force and without stopping for even a moment.”