It’s time for Israel to control all of Gaza, says Israeli minister

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared on Monday during a Religious Zionist Party meeting that “it’s time to take control of Gaza” and to take “decisive action” in Judea and Samaria.

Smotrich emphasized that time was of the essence to entirely deprive Hamas of its power and influence.

“It’s time to take control of Gaza and strip Hamas of its civilian authority, cutting off its lifeline,” he stated.

“We’ve seen in Syria how regime leaders scatter like rats once they realize they’ve lost control. The same can happen in Gaza. We’re close—we’ve already made substantial progress. We need to take the next step to achieve a decisive and clear victory,” Smotrich said.

The Finance Minister also criticized hostage release deals that would free only a portion of the hostage and not others an said such agreements can compromise Israel’s military goals.

“Instead of negotiating partial deals that leave hostages behind, undermine the progress we’ve made in the war, and reduce our chances of victory, we must push forward. We must stop fearing the unknown and do what is necessary,” he said.

Smotrich said that if Israel “takes the necessary steps,” Hamasa leaders will “flee like rats” and “This will bring all the hostages home and remove the threat to Israel once and for all.”

Smotrich also described Judea and Samaria as “Iran’s foothold” and called for the elimination of terror cells and increased settlements to maintain security.