A large billboard showing US President Donald Trump calling for the release of all the hostages held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, in Tel Aviv. January 07, 2025. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)
“Mr. Prime Minister, give the order” to resume fighting against Hamas and conquer the Gaza Strip, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said.
By World Israel News Staff
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (Religious Zionism) called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to seize the historic opportunity to resume the war in Gaza Strip and resettle its residents elsewhere, saying that doing so would also help recover Israeli hostages still held by Hamas.
“Mr. Prime Minister, I urge you, following such a moral, simple, and clear statement by President Trump, to inform Hamas unequivocally: either all the hostages are released by Saturday – no more phases, no more games, or the gates of hell will be opened on them,” Smotrich said in a video statement released on his social media channels.
Smotrich said that Israel must immediately halt all humanitarian aid, electricity, fuel, and water to the Strip in order to achieve a decisive victory over Hamas.
In order to win the war and eliminate the security threat posed to Israel, Smotrich continued, Israel must launch a “complete conquest” of the Gaza Strip, which would see “all Gazans” expelled from the region.
Officially annexing Gaza is the only “painful price” understood by Israel’s enemies, he said.
“Mr. Prime Minister, this is the only way to keep our hostages alive and bring them home as quickly as possible. We have all the international backing on this matter. Give the order,” Smotrich added.
Despite a green light from Trump to resume fighting against the Hamas terror group if the terror group does not release the some 70 remaining Israeli hostages by Saturday, it’s unclear whether Israel intends to leverage the opportunity provided by the U.S. president. Various Israeli government officials have released conflicting statements to Hebrew-language media regarding Israel’s official stance on Trump’s statement.
Some media outlets quoted ministers as saying that Israel would hold Hamas to Trump’s deadline, while others said that it was demanding that Hamas release just nine hostages originally scheduled to be freed in the first phase of the ceasefire agreement.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to publicly confirm that he endorses Trump’s demand that all of the hostages be released by the end of the week.
The rejection spurred blistering expressions of anger by U.S. officials.
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