Israeli minister states consenting starvation of two million ‘may be moral’

(MENAFN) Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has stirred controversy with his recent remarks suggesting that allowing the two million residents of Gaza to starve might be a "just" method to compel Hamas to release hostages, though he acknowledged such an approach would provoke international condemnation. Speaking at a right-wing conference earlier this week, Smotrich expressed frustration over Israel's current inability to use humanitarian aid as leverage against Hamas due to global scrutiny.

Smotrich criticized the necessity of permitting aid into Gaza, stating that Israel's compliance is driven by the need for "international legitimacy" in its conflict with Hamas. He argued that the current global environment makes it "impossible" to use aid as a means of pressure, asserting that the international community would not tolerate the starvation of Gaza's population, even if it were seen as a morally justified strategy to force Hamas to return hostages.

The finance minister claimed that if Israel had control over the distribution of aid in Gaza, the ongoing conflict would have already been resolved and the hostages captured on October 7 would have been returned. He argued that humanitarian aid is effectively serving as Hamas's "money," "fuel," and a tool for maintaining "civilian control" in Gaza, thus complicating Israel's efforts to combat the militant group.

Smotrich's comments have been met with widespread condemnation, including from European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who condemned the idea of starving civilians as a "war crime" and described such advocacy as "beyond ignominious." The backlash highlights the tension between humanitarian considerations and the strategic imperatives of conflict management.

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