Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Monday that Israel should occupy Gaza and “encourage” half of the Strip’s 2.2 million Palestinians to emigrate within two years.
Speaking at a conference organized by the Yesha Council, an umbrella group representing Israeli municipalities in the West Bank, Smotrich said that “it is possible to create a situation where Gaza’s population will be reduced to half its current size in two years.”
“It won’t cost too much money,” he claimed, adding that “even if it does, we should not be afraid to pay for it.”
“It is the only way,” he continued. “We can occupy Gaza and thin the population by half within two years,” through a strategy of encouraging “voluntary emigration.”
Critics of the “voluntary emigration” policy, also touted by Smotrich’s fellow far-right minister Itamar Ben Gvir, have argued that it is a euphemism for forced displacement — a war crime.
“Occupying Gaza is not a dirty word,” Smotrich asserted Monday. “If the cost of security control is 5 billion shekels ($1.37 billion), I will accept it with open arms. If that is what it takes to ensure the security of Israel, then so be it.”
Settler activists dance at a conference calling for the establishment of Jewish settlements in Gaza, close to the Israel-Gaza border, October 21, 2024. (Jeremy Sharon/Times of Israel)
He appeared to be referencing concerns raised by members of Israel’s security establishment along with Treasury officials who have warned about the massive implications that occupying Gaza would have on Israel’s economy.
Smotrich insisted that the only way to defeat Hamas is to replace its governing capabilities in Gaza and that Israel is the only party that can do so, even if that means making the IDF responsible for managing the civilian affairs of Palestinians in Gaza.
Once the success of “encouraged migration” is proven in Gaza, Smotrich claimed, it can be replicated in the West Bank, where another three million Palestinians live. The Religious Zionism party chairman has long spoken in favor of annexing large parts of the West Bank and declared earlier this month that US President-elect Donald Trump’s election victory offers an opportunity to see that vision through.
Smotrich was one of several government ministers who attended an event last month calling for the reestablishment of Jewish settlements in Gaza.
Ahead of his attendance at the conference, Smotrich said that territory relinquished by Israel in the past had turned into “Iranian forward terror bases,” and endangered the country.
He noted, however, that the national debate on rebuilding settlements in Gaza was relevant “for the day after the war,” which would be decided “in the normal democratic ways.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (center), Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (left) and Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs at a cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, November 1, 2024. (Amos Ben Gershom/GPO)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly denied that Israel intends to resettle the Strip, despite members from his own Likud party being outspokenly in favor of the idea.
Despite his stated opposition, critics fear the premier’s prosecution of the war could lead in that direction, as the IDF has fortified certain areas of the Strip for what seems to be a potential long-term stay.
While Netanyahu has also rejected the idea of Israel permanently occupying the Strip, his failure to advance a viable alternative to Hamas rule has made the scenario increasingly likely, critics say, urging instead for Jerusalem to allow a reformed Palestinian Authority to take over the reins.
Netanyahu has likened the PA to Hamas and insisted it will play no role in post-war Gaza, however, while Smotrich has spoken in favor of collapsing the entity as recently as last week.
