Finance Minister Smotrich said that if the government had yielded to former IDF chief Eisenkot's pressure, Hamas would be positioned on the fence of Israeli communities and no one would have returned to the Gaza envelope. The statement reflects the internal political debate over the conduct of the Gaza war.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich argued in a statement that surrendering to the approach advocated by former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot would have left Hamas on the perimeter of Israeli communities and prevented the return of residents to the Gaza envelope. The remarks, reported by a single source, come amid an ongoing public and political debate over the government's handling of the war in Gaza. In recent weeks, The Zioneer has covered similar exchanges between Netanyahu and Eisenkot, with Netanyahu rejecting proposals that would have required halting operations. The statement adds to the internal coalition discourse, as Smotrich positions himself against more moderate voices within the security establishment.
- DevelopingSmotrich says he was the veto preventing a 'surrender' in Gaza war
- StrongSmotrich: Weak government would evacuate settlements, establish Palestinian state
- StrongEx-hostage command chief says Smotrich cannot claim credit for bringing back all captives
- StrongSmotrich says Gaza deal bad for Israel, vows to continue campaign in 'creative ways'
Source and signal
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