Israeli minister says dropping nuclear bomb on Gaza ‘an option’, Netanyahu reacts

NEW DELHI,NOV 5: Israeli Minister of Heritage Amichai Eliyahu has said that in the ongoing war with the Hamas terrorist group, “one of the possible options” for Israel is dropping a nuclear bomb on the Gaza Strip.

A member of the Otzma Yehudit party in Israel, Eliyahu made these statements during a radio interview.

Catch live updates of Israel-Hamas war here

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lambasted Eliyahu for his comments, saying those are “not based in reality”. “Israel and the IDF are operating in accordance with the highest standards of international law to avoid harming innocents. We will continue to do so until our victory,” the Prime Minister of Israel wrote on X.

Israel’s opposition leader and former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid also criticised Eliyahu, calling for the sacking of the “irresponsible minister”.

Calling Gaza residents “Nazis”, Eliyahu also objected to the passage of humanitarian aid to the Strip, The Times of Israel reported. He said that there is “no such thing” as unassociated civilians in the Gaza Strip, indicating that everyone residing in the strife-torn region is in one or another connected with Hamas.

The far-right minister also supported retaking the Gaza Strip and restoring the settlements there. When asked about what would happen to the Palestinians should Gaza come to Israel, Eliyahu said that the “monsters in Gaza” could move to “Ireland or deserts” and should find a solution by themselves, The Times of Israel report added.

Hamas has been in power in the Gaza Strip since 2007 after the group won the parliamentary polls the preceding year. The region has been a flashpoint between Palestinians and Israelis for decades, and witnessed frequent conflicts.

During his radio interview, Eliyahu said that the northern Strip has no right to exist. He added that any individual who waves a Palestinian or Hamas flag should not live on the “face of the earth” any more, The Times of Israel reported.

Eliyahu has now issued a clarification, saying that it’s clear to “anyone with a brain” that the comment was “metaphorical”. In a tweet, he further wrote, “we indeed must display a forceful and disproportional response to terror, which will clarify to the Nazis and their supporters that terrorism isn’t worthwhile. This is the only formula with which democracies can deal with terror.”

He said that at the same time, it’s clear that Israel is “obligated” to do everything for the return of hostages alive and in “good health”.

Despite his damage control, Netanyahu has suspended the minister indefinitely from cabinet meetings, The Times of Israel reported. A cabinet meeting scheduled for today has been cancelled, with no alternative date set, the report added.

Families of hostages slam minister’s statement

Israeli minister Eliyahu’s statement also invited a sharp and critical reaction from Israeli families whose loved ones were taken hostage by Hamas on October 7.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said that international law, along with fundamental principles of human morality and common sense, strictly prohibits the use of weapons of mass destruction.

The Forum underscored that the utmost priority for Israel’s actions in Gaza must be the release of hostages held by Hamas, including women, children, infants, and the elderly.

“Such a reckless and cruel statement, which does not represent the official position of the State of Israel or the families of the hostages, should never have been made, said Dr Shelly Aviv Yeini, who is part of the international law team at Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

Eliyahu’s explosive claim comes as the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip due to relentless Israeli airstrikes in retaliation for Hamas’s October 7 attack, continues. Despite world leaders urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a ceasefire in Gaza, he said that it would mean his country’s surrender before Hamas.

Around 1,400 Israelis have been killed in the Hamas attack, while over 200 were taken hostage by the terrorist group after their October 7 attack. Meanwhile, Hamas claimed that more than 9,400 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing war.

-ANI