Israel's Smotrich threatens to topple government if Gaza not occupied

Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich threatened Wednesday to topple the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if the army does not occupy the Gaza Strip and rule it militarily.

In a statement, Smotrich said that the Israeli premier "is ultimately responsible" for handling the Israeli war on Gaza.

“Launch a campaign to defeat Hamas, occupy Gaza, and implement a temporary military government until another solution is found, return the hostages and launch the Trump plan – or this government has no right to exist,” he said.

The extremist minister also defended his position supporting a ban on the entry of aid into Gaza.

According to Israeli media, Smotrich clashed with army chief Eyal Zamir over the latter's refusal to make the military responsible for the distribution of aid in Gaza.

"If you are not capable, we will bring in someone who is capable, if you don't know how to do it, we will find someone who does," he told Zamil during a meeting of Israel's Security Cabinet on Tuesday night.

Since March 2, Israel has closed Gaza's crossings, blocking essential supplies from entering the enclave despite multiple reports of famine in the war-devastated territory.

The Israeli army resumed its assault on Gaza on March 18, shattering a Jan. 19 ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.

Israel has killed over 51,300 Palestinians in the enclave since October 2023, most of them women and children.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.