Smotrich: Gaza Aid Is Just Enough to Avoid ‘War Crimes’ Charges While We ‘Annihilate’ the Strip
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich gave a speech Monday defending Israel’s strategy of mass devastation in Gaza, saying humanitarian aid is only being allowed in “so the world does not stop us and accuse us of war crimes.” The goal, he insisted, is to “conquer, clear, and stay” until Gaza is dismantled beyond recognition.
On aid, Smotrich said only the care minimum will be allowed: “A few bakeries distributing pitas… a daily portion of cooked food. Citizens in Gaza will get a pita and a plate of food, and that’s it. That’s exactly what we see in the videos—people standing in line, waiting for a plate of soup.” The purpose, he admitted, is not relief but optics: “It allows the world to continue providing us with international protection.”
“We are annihilating everything that remains in the Strip,” he declared, “simply because it is one big city of terror.” He described the new military strategy as one of permanent occupation: “No more raids with ins and outs… we are conquering, clearing, and staying until Hamas is destroyed.”
He welcomed the shift toward targeting Gaza’s civil infrastructure: “The IDF is finally conducting a campaign against the civilian rule of Hamas… eliminating ministers, officials, money changers, and figures in the economic and governmental apparatus.”
Boasting of the scale of destruction, Smotrich said: “We are dismantling Gaza, leaving it in ruins with unprecedented destruction, and the world still hasn’t stopped us.”
