Smotrich 'assured' Israel would continue war and take control of Gaza

Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has stated that he has received assurances that the Gaza war will continue and that Israel will "gradually take over the entire Gaza Strip." Smotrich made the statement on Saturday, criticizing the ceasefire agreement approved by Prime Minister Netanyahu's cabinet on Friday.

Smotrich called Netanyahu's decision "to give a green light to a bad, disastrous deal." Smotrich and his far-right Religious Zionism party voted against the ceasefire agreement, but remained in the government after Netanyahu reportedly agreed to some of their demands. The far-right minister stated that while his party could not prevent the deal, they were able to "ensure" through the cabinet and "other means" that the war would not end without achieving all of Israel's objectives, the most important of which is the "complete destruction of Hamas in Gaza."

Smotrich stated that his faction demanded and "received a commitment" that the way the war is conducted will be completely changed. This includes "gradually taking over the entire Gaza Strip, lifting the restrictions imposed on us by the Biden administration, and taking full control of the Gaza Strip so that humanitarian aid does not reach Hamas as it does now." Smotrich's remarks appear to be in stark contrast to the agreement reached between Israel and Hamas, which was previously published by Middle East Eye. The agreement stipulates that the first phase will include the exchange of Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners, the return of displaced Palestinian civilians to their homes in northern Gaza, and the transfer of wounded Palestinian fighters and civilians to Egypt through the Rafah crossing.

"Soon, we will wipe the smiles off their faces again and replace them with cries of grief," Smotrich said. The agreement would also include the withdrawal of Israeli forces to a 700-meter buffer zone along the border between Israel and Gaza. The second phase, in which all Israeli captives would be released in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, is still under discussion. This would be followed by a third phase, also yet to be discussed, in which both sides would return the remains of killed captives and prisoners, and a three- to five-year reconstruction plan overseen by international actors would be declared.

Smotrich stated that Gaza is currently "destroyed and dismantled and not fit for habitation" and that it will "remain that way." He also added: "Do not be fooled by the forced smiles of our enemies. This is an animal society that glorifies death. Soon, we will wipe the smiles off their faces again and replace them with cries of grief and the wails of those who have lost everything." Netanyahu said in a video address on Saturday that if the second phase of the ceasefire agreement proves to be "futile," Israel will resume the war on Gaza in a "new and powerful way." "Both President Trump and President Biden fully support Israel's right to resume fighting if Israel deems the negotiations regarding phase B to be futile," he said, adding that Israel will not rest until "all war objectives are achieved," including the return of all Israeli captives held in Gaza.

Far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's Jewish Power party announced that its legislators would submit their resignation letters on Sunday in protest of the agreement. The Palestinian Ministry of Health said that Israeli forces killed at least 23 Palestinians in Gaza in the past day before the ceasefire began on Sunday. This brings the total death toll of Palestinians in the Israeli war on Gaza since October 2023 to 46,899. Most of those killed were women and children.