an Israeli minister wants to reduce the population of Gaza by two

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Israel should “conquer” the Gaza Strip and halve the local Palestinian population by “voluntary emigration”. Speaking Monday evening at a symposium organized by the Yesha Council, an organization representing settlers in the occupied West Bank, Mr. Smotrich said “that we can and must conquer the Gaza Strip, we must not be afraid of this word”.

“There is no doubt that in Gaza, with the encouragement of voluntary emigration, there is, in my opinion, a unique opportunity here that is opening up with the new administration (Trump)”added the minister, at the head of the far-right party “Religious Zionism”. “We can create a situation in which, within two years, the population of Gaza will be reduced by half”specified Mr. Smotrich.

On November 14, Human Rights Watch found that the repeated forced displacement of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip constituted a crime against humanity, accusations rejected as “totally false” by Israel. THE “Israel's actions also appear to fit the definition of ethnic cleansing” in areas where the army has ordered the Palestinians to leave and where they will not be able to return, the NGO judged in a report. “The words ethnic cleansing are increasingly used to describe what is happening in northern Gaza”also declared the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell on November 11 on X.

“Irresponsible”

The projects of “voluntary transfer” of the Gazan population of Mr. Smotrich and his colleague Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, caused an outcry in January. “The United States rejects recent statements by Israeli Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir advocating the relocation of Palestinians outside Gaza”then said the spokesperson for the State Department, Matthew Miller, describing these remarks as“irresponsible”.

Despite its unilateral withdrawal in 2005, Israel is considered by international law to be the occupying power of the Gaza Strip, a territory conquered during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Hamas, which took power there in 2007 , accuses Israel of wanting to continue the war triggered by the October 7 attack to pursue a policy of “ethnic cleansing” in the Gaza Strip, where 2.4 million Palestinians live.

The possible return of a Jewish civilian presence in this territory was rejected by Benjamin Netanyahu, but it is mentioned by the most radical ministers of his government. “It is obvious that ultimately there will be a civilian Jewish presence in the Gaza Strip”Mr. Smotrich said during a meeting with right-wing activists in October.