Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich told a Cabinet meeting that Gaza civilians should be left to “die of hunger or surrender,” sparking a heated clash with army chief Eyal Zamir.
Israeli media reported on August 24 that far-right ministers openly advocated starving Gaza’s population during a stormy Cabinet meeting focused on a new military operation.
The debate reportedly centered on ‘Operation Gideon’s Chariots 2,’ a planned large-scale offensive in Gaza City. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich pushed for harsher measures against Palestinians who remain in the enclave, calling for them to be besieged and left to starve.
“We ordered you to carry out a quick operation. In my opinion, you can besiege them. Whoever doesn’t evacuate, don’t let them. No water, no electricity – let them die of hunger or surrender,” Smotrich was quoted as saying by Israel’s Channel 12.
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Military Pushback
According to the channel, the remarks triggered a confrontation with Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir, who warned that such political demands were militarily unrealistic.
“We are operating in other areas, in Khan Younis and Rafah,” Zamir responded, adding that “military realities require time and careful planning.”
Tensions reportedly escalated further when far-right Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir accused Zamir of hesitating and being constrained by the military advocate general.
Smotrich also charged the army chief with ignoring political directives and blocking decisive action, reportedly declaring, “This isn’t what the political leadership ordered. You don’t want to defeat Hamas.”
According to Channel 12, Zamir fired back, saying: “You don’t understand anything. You don’t know what a brigade or battalion is. This takes time.”
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Netanyahu Silent amid US Pressure
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior ministers, including Israel Katz and Ron Dermer, refrained from intervening in the dispute. Reports indicate they pointed instead to mounting US pressure for a rapid end to the Gaza war.
The Cabinet is scheduled to meet again on Tuesday to continue debating the Gaza offensive and a potential prisoner exchange deal, according to the Times of Israel.
Staggering Death Toll
Since October 2023, Israel has killed more than 62,600 Palestinians in its ongoing genocide in Gaza, devastating the enclave and plunging its population into famine.
International legal pressure on Israel continues to mount. Last November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Security Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Separately, Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over its war on Gaza.
(PC, Al Mayadeen)
Hamas is a terrorist Organisation. Better hamas should surrender to IDF and release all hostages. Isreal won’t allow hamas to exist. In 2005, Isreal left Gaza and set free all Gazans. Hamas got so much money so that they can made Gaza another singapore. But what they did id dug underground tunnels and made terrorism. Now it is time to stop it. Now crying for gaza starvation and death of common people. The people of gaza should leave hamas for the betterment of their lives.
The death toll of 62000 quoted by the Palestine Chronicle is way out of date for August 2025. Even the reputed and credible British medical journal Lancet had earlier estimated the actual direct deaths to be around 300,000 and other indirect deaths from denial of essential maintenance medicines and antibiotics or hygiene products in the tens of thousands at least. These figures do not reflect the deaths from malnutrition and deaths precipitated by environmental toxins and pollutants, communicable diseases that are rampant and drastic reduction in immunity levels for the entire population. You must strive to provide readers with more plausible statistics that are in the public domain.