Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for a full occupation of the Gaza Strip and a military government if "necessary," in a speech at a Mimouna ceremony in Netivot on Saturday night.
Smotrich also quoted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Saturday night statements in which the Israeli leader said, "the war will not end until we destroy Hamas in Gaza."
Smotrich added that the "clear meaning" of these words is that "we must change the way we wage this war — move toward a full occupation of the Gaza Strip, not fear a military administration if necessary, destroy Hamas, and ensure that no threat emerges from Gaza against the State of Israel."
תרבחו ותסעדו.ראש הממשלה, אמר הערב אמת פשוטה וחשובה לציבור הישראלי, אסור לסיים את המלחמה ללא הכרעה מוחלטת של חמאס וסילוקו מרצועת עזה. אדוני ראש הממשלה לאמירה שלך הערב שצריך את המלחמה הזו לסיים בניצחון יש משמעות והיא לשנות את שיטת המלחמה, ללכת לכיבוש מלא של רצועת עזה ולא לפחד… pic.twitter.com/JfFYEZfBzZ
— בצלאל סמוטריץ' (@bezalelsm) April 19, 2025
'Path to securing our safety'
"This is the path to securing our safety, and this is the path to bringing the hostages home quickly,” he added.
On Saturday, Netanyahu addressed the citizens of Israel in a prerecorded message, stating, “I will not surrender to murderers. Such a surrender would endanger you, the public. If we yield to their demands, all the tremendous achievements we have gained will be lost.
“Hamas has once again rejected a proposal to release half of the living hostages and many fallen soldiers. Hamas rejected the proposal and demanded an end to the war. If we accept Hamas’s demands, it would mean that Israel can be forced to surrender,” he continued.