Israel, Smotrich: "We will not withdraw from Gaza, not even in exchange for hostages"

Rome, May 5 (LaPresse) – Israel will not withdraw from the Gaza Strip, even if a new hostage deal is reached. This was stated by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who urged Israelis to embrace the concept of “occupation.” “We will finally occupy the Gaza Strip. We will stop being afraid of the word ‘occupation,’” he said during a conference organized by the right-wing newspaper Besheva. “We are finally taking full control of all humanitarian aid, to ensure it doesn’t become supplies for Hamas. We are separating Hamas from the population, cleansing the Strip, recovering the hostages, and defeating Hamas,” he added, emphasizing that once the new offensive in Gaza begins, there will be “no withdrawal from the territories we’ve taken, not even in exchange for hostages.”