During faction meetings in the Knesset, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s two senior far-right allies, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, endorsed the idea of rebuilding settlements in the Gaza Strip and encouraged “voluntary emigration” of Palestinians. Ben Gvir and Smotrich proposed the migration of Palestinian civilians as a potential solution to the longstanding conflict, asserting that it could pave the way for the stability required for residents of southern Israel to return to their homes.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir stated that the ongoing conflict presented an “opportunity to concentrate on encouraging the migration of the residents of Gaza,” describing it as a “correct, just, moral, and humane solution” during a press briefing with members of his far-right Otzma Yehudit party.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich expressed a firm stance against withdrawing from any territory in the Gaza Strip, emphasizing his support for Jewish settlements in the region. He stated, “Not only do I not rule out Jewish settlement there, I believe it is also an important thing.” During faction meetings
In outlining what he considered the “correct solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Smotrich advocated for encouraging the voluntary migration of Gaza’s residents to countries willing to accept refugees. He predicted that Israel would maintain permanent control over the Gaza Strip, including through the establishment of settlements. This perspective was shared with members of his Religious Zionism party as part of his presentation on the way forward in the ongoing conflict.
He also repeated his previous statement that Jerusalem could not allow Gaza to remain a “hothouse of 2 million people who want destroy the State of Israel” and asserted that “as long as I am the finance minister, not one shekel will go to the Nazi terrorists in Gaza.”