Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has suggested that blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza could be “justified and moral”, even if it resulted in widespread civilian casualties.
However, he noted that international pressure prevents such action.
Speaking at a conference in Yad Binyamin, Smotrich said, “We are bringing in aid because there is no choice.” He added that the global community would not permit actions leading to mass civilian deaths, despite his view that it might be justified until Israeli hostages are returned.
The far-right minister expressed opposition to the current aid distribution approach, advocating for Israel to regain full control over what enters Gaza. He criticised the military and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant’s stance on the issue, claiming that Hamas’ alleged misuse of aid is prolonging the conflict.
Whilst supporting the idea of Israeli resettlement in Gaza, Smotrich stated he had not pushed for this to be an official war goal. He argued that the October 7 attack might have been prevented had Israel not withdrawn from Gaza in 2005.
