From the Liveblog of
Monday, May 5, 2025
Smotrich: Israelis should embrace the word ‘occupation,’ IDF won’t withdraw from Gaza
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"
Israel will not withdraw from the Gaza Strip even if there is another hostage deal, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich insists, calling on Israelis to embrace “occupation.”
“We are finally going to occupy the Gaza Strip. We will stop being afraid of the word ‘occupation,'” Smotrich tells Channel 12 journalist Amit Segal during a conference organized by the right-wing Besheva newspaper.
“We are finally taking control of all humanitarian aid, so that it does not become supplies for Hamas. We are separating Hamas from the population, cleansing the Strip, returning the hostages — and defeating Hamas,” he says — adding that once the new offensive in Gaza begins there will be “no retreat from the territories we have conquered, not even in exchange for hostages.”
“The only way to release the hostages is to subdue Hamas. Any retreat will bring about the next October 7,” he says.
“Once as we occupy and stay [in Gaza] we can talk about sovereignty. But I did not demand that this be included among the goals of the war. First, we will defeat Hamas and prevent it from existing,” Smotrich says.
The Times of Israel Community.