“Nobody will let us cause 2 million civilians to die of hunger even though it might be justified and moral until our hostages are returned.”
Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has said that Israel allows aid into the Gaza Strip “even though” the deaths of two million Palestinians in the blockaded enclave from hunger might be “justified and moral.”
“We can’t, in the current global reality, manage a war. Nobody will let us cause 2 million civilians to die of hunger even though it might be justified and moral until our hostages are returned,” Smotrich reportedly told a conference hosted by the Israel Hayom daily.
Famine Looming – Gaza Accuses Israel, US of Using Aid Blockade as Political Weapon
He added “Humanitarianism in exchange for humanitarianism is morally justified, but what can we do? We live today in a certain reality, we need international legitimacy for this war.”
Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip since the October 7 resistance operation, leaving the enclave’s entire population on the verge of famine.
“We are bringing in aid because there is no choice,” Smotrich said, calling for Israel to have full control over what enters the Palestinian enclave.
The UN International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has warned that almost 3,000 children have been cut off from treatment for moderate and severe acute malnutrition in southern Gaza, putting them at risk of death.
‘Majority of Bakeries Ceased Operations in Gaza’ – Gaza Authorities Warn of Humanitarian Crisis
Resettlement of Gaza
The far-right minister reiterated his opposition to any prisoner swap deal with Hamas, claiming that current cease-fire proposals are “unjust and unethical” as they would only return a few hostages and jeopardize state security, the Anadolu news agency reported.
He also expressed his opposition to releasing Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli hostages, asserting that they would “return to kill Jews.”
Smotrich reiterated his controversial stance on the resettlement of the Gaza Strip, claiming that, “Where there is no settlement, there is terror.”
Seizure of PA Funds
Meanwhile, Smotrich has ordered the seizure of around $26 million of tax funds intended for transfer to the Palestinian Authority, reported the Times of Israel.
He said the money would be given to the families of “terror victims” instead.
“The fight against terrorism is not only a military fight but a combined fight that includes a war against the wild incitement of the Palestinian Authority and the terrorist funds which it directs from its budget to the families of terrorists,” he said on X.
“We will continue to protect the security of the citizens of Israel and fight with all the tools at our disposal against terrorism and its supporters,” he added.
המאבק בטרור איננו רק מאבק צבאי אלא מאבק משולב הכולל מלחמה בהסתה הפרועה של הרשות הפלסטינית ובכספי הטרור אותם היא מפנה מתקציבה למשפחות מחבלים.
כפי שנהגתי מאז כניסתי לתפקיד, פסקי דין כנגד הרשות הפלסטינית מועברים לעיקול מיידי מהכספים המועברים לרשות הפלסטינית ומועברים לפיצוי משפחות… pic.twitter.com/5NuekdS3vG
— בצלאל סמוטריץ' (@bezalelsm) August 4, 2024
Israel has withheld funds from the PA since October 7 reportedly “earmarked for Gaza”, according to The Times of Israel.
‘Dire’ Situation
The Norwegian government has warned that the PA could collapse in the coming months, citing a lack of funding among the reasons.
“The situation is extremely dire. The Palestinian Authority, with whom we work closely, are warning us that they might be collapsing this summer,” Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide was reported as saying.
“If it collapses, you could end up having another Gaza, which would be terrible for everybody, including the people of Israel,” he stated.
‘Dire Situation’ – Norway Warns PA on Verge of Collapse in West Bank
He earlier stressed that “Not only are funds that belong to Palestine being held back by Israel, and I would reiterate my call that Israel must transfer the clearance revenues in full.
“But we also have the effect of more than half a million of Palestinian people that no longer is able to work, and many of these support large families which again has reduced the circulation of the Palestinian economy.”
(PA, Anadolu)
Smotbich:
Can’t
Understand
Normal
Thinking
All this because the self-absorbed and self-obsessed “Chosen Ones” created a phoney bible that led to their phoney tribalist projectivism which led to their phoney Holohoax… and now this… the realization of all their sick, twisted madness.
Absolutely disgusting people. Filthy and disgusting tribe with their filthy delusions and paranoias.
Outrageous! A goddamn curse on the lot of them!
Well, the EU does know of a solution – freezing the assets owned by the defaulting party, Israel in this case, that are held in the EU member states, and handing them over to the party being defaulted against, the PA in this case. It’s what they’ve done with frozen Russian assets, handing them over to Ukraine. So it’s racial discrimination not to do the same with Israeli assets in the EU.