Latest news with #Smotrich-Netanyahu
L'Orient-Le Jour
06-05-2025
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Bezalel Smotrich: Gaza will be totally destroyed
Two days after the Israeli security cabinet approved a plan for the " conquest" of Gaza, far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich painted an apocalyptic picture of the post-war situation in the "destroyed" Palestinian enclave during a symposium in the Israeli settlement of Ofra, in the occupied West Bank. "In a few months, we will be able to declare that we have won. Gaza will be totally destroyed," he declared. He further detailed, "In six months, Hamas will no longer exist as a functional entity... The population of Gaza will be concentrated south of the Morag corridor. The rest of the territory will be empty." The Morag axis south of Gaza, named after an Israeli settlement dismantled in 2005, cuts the strip of land from east to west, isolating Rafah from Khan Younis further north, and from the rest of the enclave. "The citizens of Gaza will be concentrated in the south. They will be totally desperate, understand that there is no more hope or anything to expect from this territory, and will seek to relocate to start a new life elsewhere," stated Bezalel Smotrich, a fervent supporter of colonization in the West Bank and the "relocation" of Gaza residents to third countries. At the beginning of March, he announced the creation of a "migration administration" for the displacement of Gazans. When also asked about the annexation of the West Bank, the Finance Minister replied that "this will happen during this term. It is one of our most important challenges. We are facing a historic opportunity." On Monday, he asserted to the Israeli Channel 12 that Israelis should not be ashamed of the term "occupation" in Gaza, and that there will be "no withdrawal from the territories we have conquered, even in exchange for hostages." The Forum of Families, the largest association of hostage relatives in Israel, accused the Israeli government on Monday of "sacrificing" the hostages held in Gaza after the approval of an expansion of the Israeli offensive in the Palestinian territory. This plan deserves the name "Smotrich-Netanyahu plan" because it "sacrifices the hostages," the association said in a statement. U.S. President Donald Trump had proposed at the beginning of February the idea of a U.S. takeover of Gaza to rebuild it and make it a "Riviera of the Middle East." He claimed the inhabitants of the enclave could be relocated to Egypt and Jordan, two countries that have rejected this option. The head of the White House is expected for a tour in the Middle East from May 13 to 16.
Morocco World
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Israel Approves Expansion Offensive Plan in Gaza
Rabat — The Israeli Security Cabinet has approved the expansion of its genocidal offensive in Gaza, with the plan being to conquer the Gaza Strip and force the departure of Gazans from their land. The Israeli Cabinet is planning for a total 'seizing of the entire enclave,' according to reports. A source spoke to AFP about the plan, saying it will 'include, among other things, the conquest of the Gaza Strip and the holding of the territories, moving the Gaza population south.' The newly confirmed plan promotes the US President Donald Trump's plan to 'take over Gaza' and turn it into the 'Riviera of the Middle East.' The new development comes following Israel's plan to call up tens of thousands of reservists to intensify its assault in Gaza. The approval of this plan means that Israel is targeting full control of Gaza, and as usual, under the excuse that they want to protect Palestinians and get rid of Hamas. Israel has been trying to ratchet up pressure on Hamas to bring it down for more flexibility in ceasefire negotiations. The Palestinian group is still firmly attached to its positions and how to negotiate for any potential deal. The plan is designed to remove Hamas from the Gaza Strip, as it involves Israel taking over the provision of humanitarian aid in the Palestinian enclave. Following the approval of the expansion plan, the Families Forum, the largest association of hostages' relatives in Israel, has accused the Israeli government of 'sacrificing' the hostages in Gaza. Read also: Gaza Genocide: New Report Confirms Biden's Unwavering Support for Israel A statement from the association described the plan as the 'Smotrich-Netanyahu plan,' as it 'sacrifices the hostages.' They referred to the influence of far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. 'This morning, the government admits it is choosing territory over hostages, contrary to the wishes of more than 70% of the population,' the statement added. For its part, the European Union said it is 'concerned' about the new Israeli plan for the 'conquest' of the Gaza Strip. Reacting to the expansion offensive decision, the spokesperson for the EU's diplomatic service, Anouar El Anouni, called for 'maximum restraint.' 'The European Union is concerned about the planned extension of the Israeli forces' operation in Gaza, which will result in new casualties and suffering for the Palestinian population,' El Anouni said during the European Commission's daily press briefing. 'We urge Israel to exercise the utmost restraint,' he added. Tags: Israel and Gazaisrael and hamasIsraeli genocie
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israel says Trump's Middle East visit is the ‘window of opportunity' for hostage deal
A senior Israeli defense official on Monday said President Donald Trump's upcoming visit to the Middle East is the "window of opportunity" to secure a hostage deal, otherwise Israel will initiate a new military operation in the Gaza Strip. "If there is no hostage deal, Operation 'Gideon Chariots' will begin with great intensity and will not stop until all its goals are achieved," the official said according to a Reuters report in reference to a Sunday night decision by Israel's security cabinet to expand operations in the Gaza Strip. Israel will use the roughly 10-day time frame to prepare for its new operations, which will entail calling up tens of thousands of reserve troops with the goal of taking over all the Gaza Strip. Israel Approves Plan To Capture All Of Gaza, Calls Up Tens Of Thousands Of Reserve Troops In an apparent move to counter the terror group Hamas, the Israel Defense Forces will remain in captured territory rather than withdraw forces after an operation is complete. Israel has not presented a plan for how long it intends to occupy the Palestinian lands in a move that violated U.N.-brokered treaties and internationally recognized borders. A spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not respond to Fox News Digital's questions. Read On The Fox News App The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement that the plan approved by the cabinet to occupy territory and sustain Israel's presence in Gaza should be named the "Smotrich-Netanyahu plan" to "give up on the hostages and Israel's security and national resilience." In the statement, the forum said that this plan is an admission by the government that it is choosing territories over freeing the hostages and noted that more than 70% of Israelis have opposed military prioritization over hostages in recent polling. Trump had planned to make his trip to the Middle East, where he will visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates between May 13 and 16, his first international visit since re-entering the White House, to signify the significance of the region to the U.S. While this will still be a major geopolitical visit, his first international trip ended up being his visit to Italy for Pope Francis' funeral, where he held close discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Neither the White House nor the State Department immediately responded to Fox News Digital's questions regarding Israel's increasingly aggressive position and how it is impacting hostage and peace deal negotiations. Parents Of Hamas Hostages Urge Trump To Be 'Tough With Enemies And Friends' Amid Israeli Siege In Gaza Comments made by Netanyahu last week sent ceasefire negotiators reeling after he, for the first time, confirmed that returning the hostages taken by Hamas nearly 580 days ago on Oct. 7, 2023 was not his top priority. "We have many objectives, many goals in this war. We want to bring back all of our hostages," Netanyahu said. "That is a very important goal. In war, there is a supreme objective. And that supreme objective is victory over our enemies. And that is what we will achieve." The Israeli prime minister also on Saturday justified his increasingly aggressive operations in Gaza that have resulted in the death of more than 50,000 in the Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, including more than 15,600 children as of late-March, as "a war between civilization and barbarism." Qatar, which has been heavily involved in hostage negotiations and ceasefire efforts, responded in a Saturday post on social media and said the comments "fall short of the most basic standards of political and moral responsibility." "Portraying the ongoing aggression against Gaza as a defense of 'civilization' echoes the rhetoric of regimes throughout history that have used false narratives to justify crimes against innocent civilians," said Majed Al Ansari, advisor to Qatar Prime Minister Mohammad Al-Thani and spokesman for the foreign ministry. Ansari did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's questions. Fox News' Yael Rotem-Kuriel contributed to this article source: Israel says Trump's Middle East visit is the 'window of opportunity' for hostage deal
L'Orient-Le Jour
05-05-2025
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Hostage Families Forum says Israel's new plan 'sacrifices' hostages.
The Hostage Families Forum, the largest association of relatives of hostages in Israel, accused the Israeli government on Monday of 'sacrificing' hostages in Gaza following the approval of an expansion of the Israeli offensive in the Palestinian territory. This plan merits the name "Smotrich-Netanyahu plan" because it "sacrifices the hostages," according to a statement from the association, referring to the influence of far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. "This morning, the government admits it is choosing the territory over the hostages, contrary to the wishes of more than 70% of the population," the text adds.
Fox News
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Israel says Trump's Middle East visit is the ‘window of opportunity' for hostage deal
A senior Israeli defense official on Monday said President Donald Trump's upcoming visit to the Middle East is the "window of opportunity" to secure a hostage deal, otherwise Israel will initiate a new military operation in the Gaza Strip. "If there is no hostage deal, Operation 'Gideon Chariots' will begin with great intensity and will not stop until all its goals are achieved," the official said according to a Reuters report in reference to a Sunday night decision by Israel's security cabinet to expand operations in the Gaza Strip. Israel will use the roughly 10-day time frame to prepare for its new operations, which will entail calling up tens of thousands of reserve troops with the goal of taking over all the Gaza Strip. In an apparent move to counter the terror group Hamas, the Israel Defense Forces will remain in captured territory rather than withdraw forces after an operation is complete. Israel has not presented a plan for how long it intends to occupy the Palestinian lands in a move that violated U.N.-brokered treaties and internationally recognized borders. A spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not respond to Fox News Digital's questions. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement that the plan approved by the cabinet to occupy territory and sustain Israel's presence in Gaza should be named the "Smotrich-Netanyahu plan" to "give up on the hostages and Israel's security and national resilience." In the statement, the forum said that this plan is an admission by the government that it is choosing territories over freeing the hostages and noted that more than 70% of Israelis have opposed military prioritization over hostages in recent polling. Trump had planned to make his trip to the Middle East, where he will visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates between May 13 and 16, his first international visit since re-entering the White House, to signify the significance of the region to the U.S. While this will still be a major geopolitical visit, his first international trip ended up being his visit to Italy for Pope Francis' funeral, where he held close discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Neither the White House nor the State Department immediately responded to Fox News Digital's questions regarding Israel's increasingly aggressive position and how it is impacting hostage and peace deal negotiations. Comments made by Netanyahu last week sent ceasefire negotiators reeling after he, for the first time, confirmed that returning the hostages taken by Hamas nearly 580 days ago on Oct. 7, 2023 was not his top priority. "We have many objectives, many goals in this war. We want to bring back all of our hostages," Netanyahu said. "That is a very important goal. In war, there is a supreme objective. And that supreme objective is victory over our enemies. And that is what we will achieve." The Israeli prime minister also on Saturday justified his increasingly aggressive operations in Gaza that have resulted in the death of more than 50,000 in the Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, including more than 15,600 children as of late-March, as "a war between civilization and barbarism." Qatar, which has been heavily involved in hostage negotiations and ceasefire efforts, responded in a Saturday post on social media and said the comments "fall short of the most basic standards of political and moral responsibility." "Portraying the ongoing aggression against Gaza as a defense of 'civilization' echoes the rhetoric of regimes throughout history that have used false narratives to justify crimes against innocent civilians," said Majed Al Ansari, advisor to Qatar Prime Minister Mohammad Al-Thani and spokesman for the foreign ministry. Ansari did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's questions.
