By Muhammad Abubakar
In a controversial address on Monday, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich openly acknowledged that the limited humanitarian aid allowed into the Gaza Strip is intended not to alleviate civilian suffering but to shield Israel from international war crimes accusations.
Smotrich declared that Israel is “annihilating everything that remains in the Strip,” describing Gaza as “one big city of terror.” He said the provision of minimal aid — such as “a few bakeries distributing pitas” and “a daily portion of cooked food” — serves a strategic purpose: maintaining global political cover. “It allows the world to continue providing us with international protection,” he asserted.
Smotrich defended Israel’s ongoing campaign of widespread devastation, describing it as a shift from targeted raids to full-scale occupation. “No more raids with ins and outs… we are conquering, clearing, and staying until Hamas is destroyed,” he said.
The minister praised the military’s intensified focus on Gaza’s civil infrastructure, noting that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) is now targeting the administrative apparatus of Hamas, including ministers, civil servants, and the economic networks.
Boasting of the level of destruction inflicted on the enclave, Smotrich said, “We are dismantling Gaza, leaving it in ruins with unprecedented destruction, and the world still hasn’t stopped us.” He went further, expressing support for a complete blockade of essential services: “Until the last of the hostages returns, we should also not let water into the Gaza Strip.”
Perhaps most alarmingly, Smotrich appeared to endorse forced displacement, stating: “The population will reach the south of the Strip, and from there, God willing, to third countries, as part of President Trump’s plan.”
His remarks have sparked renewed concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza and raised serious questions about the legality and morality of Israel’s ongoing military strategy.