From the Liveblog of
Monday, November 18, 2024
Smotrich calls for reoccupying northern Gaza in order to free hostages
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
In order to free the hostages, Israel needs to reoccupy northern Gaza, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich tells reporters in the Knesset ahead of his far right Religious Zionism party’s weekly faction meeting.
“In order to return the hostages, we need to occupy the entire northern Gaza Strip, and inform Hamas unequivocally that if the hostages are not returned, we will apply Israeli sovereignty there and remain forever,” Smotrich says, maintaining that this threat will give Hamas the motivation to keep the hostages alive.
He says any hostage deal that includes Israel agreeing to end the war will amount to a surrender to Hamas.
