Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has called for the “occupation” of the Gaza Strip and the “voluntary migration” of Palestinians should be encouraged.
In an interview with Israel’s Channel 13 news on Wednesday, Ben-Gvir reportedly said “Gaza must be occupied. Stay inside it and encourage the voluntary migration of its residents.”
“If we win the war, it will be practically accomplished,” he added, according to the Anadolu news agency.
The Security Minister further criticized the course of Israel’s military action in Gaza.
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“My critique of the war’s course is clear: progress must be made to bring about a resolution,” he said, the report continues.
“The soldiers are doing an excellent job, but in the mini-cabinet (Israeli cabinet), you must give them (the soldiers) support to resolve it,” he added.
Ben-Gvir is further reported as expressing hope that elements of the Likud party would not hinder the progress achieved in the war.
He also said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the leader of Likud, is leading negotiations with the There is a Future party led by opposition leader Yair Lapid, “to bring them into the government at my expense.”
Statements Condemned by Other Countries
This is not the first time that senior Israeli officials, including Netanyahu, have issued statements calling for the forced displacement of Palestinians.
Ministers including Ben-Gvir, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Knesset member for the Likud party Danny Danon have called for encouraging the “voluntary migration” of Palestinians from the besieged enclave.
In December, Netanyahu reportedly told his ruling Likud Party members that “our problem is the countries that are willing to absorb (them), and we are working on it.”
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Countries such as Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait have condemned these calls to displace Gazans from their land, saying they represent a disregard for international laws and agreements and efforts to settle the Palestinian issue.
The US, France, Britain, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia as well as the European Union have also reportedly rejected these statements, as a violation of international law.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 24,448 Palestinians have been killed, and 61,504 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Palestinian and international estimates say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
(PC, Anadolu)
