According to the Jerusalem Post, local time on August 18th, Israel's Finance Minister and far-right politician Bezalel Smotrich called for Prime Minister Netanyahu to order the Israeli Defense Forces to fully take control of the Gaza Strip and allow the establishment of settlements there during a speech at a school.
Smortrich said, "From the first day of the war, I kept telling the Prime Minister: He is useless without me."
Smootrich also advocated for “complete conquest of Gaza,” stating that “where there are settlements, there are troops and security; whereas where there are no settlements, over time, there will be neither troops nor security.”
According to CCTV International News, Smotrich also said, "Most people in Gaza understand that they have no future in Gaza—in 20 years, the Gaza Strip will be empty and a wasteland."
According to the Israeli Times, reported on September 17, 2025, local time, Smolteich once claimed that the Gaza Strip was a potential ‘real estate treasure trove’. He is currently negotiating with the United States about how to divide the region after the war.
