Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich calls for full Gaza occupation, military rule and illegal settlements
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Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich calls for the full occupation of the Gaza Strip and the establishment of an Israeli military administration there. He says Israel must set up illegal Jewish settlements and encourage Palestinian emigration. The call comes as US presidential adviser Jared Kushner is in the region for talks on the second stage of the Gaza ceasefire.
Key Facts
- Smotrich spoke at a yeshiva in Sderot while US presidential adviser Jared Kushner was in the region for talks on the second stage of the Gaza ceasefire.
- Smotrich said he had told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since the start of the Gaza attacks that Israel needed military rule in Gaza, and that security could not be ensured without building illegal settlements.
- The first stage of the Gaza ceasefire took effect on October 10, 2025, but Israeli attacks and restrictions on aid entry continued despite the agreement.
- Gaza Peace Council High Representative Nikolay Mladenov said Hamas had accepted a detailed roadmap for implementing the second stage of the ceasefire.
- Netanyahu announced that Israel rejected the Peace Council's 15-point plan for the second stage of the ceasefire.
Smotrich's Gaza Proposal
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich told a yeshiva in Sderot that there was no way to defeat Hamas other than fully occupying the Gaza Strip. He called for establishing an Israeli military administration and illegal Jewish settlements in Gaza while encouraging Palestinian emigration. He said no one but Israel could govern Gaza or disarm Hamas. Smotrich said he had told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since the start of the Gaza attacks that Israel needed military rule in Gaza. The remarks came while US presidential adviser Jared Kushner was in the region for talks on the second stage of a ceasefire whose first stage took effect on October 10, 2025.
Ceasefire Second Stage
Despite the ceasefire agreement covering prisoner exchanges and increased humanitarian aid, Israeli attacks and restrictions on aid entry continued. Gaza Peace Council High Representative Nikolay Mladenov said Hamas had accepted a detailed roadmap for implementing the second stage. Netanyahu announced that Israel rejected the Peace Council's 15-point plan for the second stage.
Kushner's Regional Talks
Kushner and Mladenov met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and a Hamas delegation in Cairo on August 17. Kushner then arrived in Israel and met Netanyahu to discuss the transition to the second stage of the agreement. Smotrich's speech took place during Kushner's visit to the region for those talks.
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Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich calls for full Gaza occupation, military rule and illegal settlements
