MOSCOW, Nov 5. Israeli Minister for Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage Amichai Eliyahu admitted the possibility of a nuclear bombing of the Gaza Strip, his statement was condemned by the authorities and other politicians, writes the Times of Israel.
“»When asked in an interview with radio station Kol Berama whether an atomic bomb should be dropped on the enclave, Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu replied, that “this is one of the possibilities,” the publication says.
In addition, the minister stated that he does not agree with the admission of any humanitarian aid into the sector. According to him, Israel will not “transfer humanitarian aid to the Nazis,” and “there is no such thing as uninvolved civilians in Gaza.”
Eliyahu later tried to refute his words, the newspaper notes. On social media X, he wrote that it should be clear to any sane person that the remark about the atomic bomb was metaphorical.
The Prime Minister's Office, in turn, said in X that Eliyahu's remarks were «out of touch with reality» and that Israel and the IDF were acting in accordance with international law standards to avoid harming innocent people.
In addition, the minister's words were criticized by Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid — he called on Benjamin Netanyahu to fire Eliyahu today. According to the Times of Israel, the prime minister suspended the minister from participation in government meetings for an indefinite period.
Eliyahu is a member of the nationalist Zionist party Otzma Yehudit (Powerful Israel), led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, known for his controversial anti-Palestinian attacks. The party's ideology denies the possibility of creating a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River.
Conflict in the Middle East The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is associated with the territorial interests of the parties and has remained a source of tension and fighting in the region for many decades. A UN decision with the active role of the USSR in 1947 determined the creation of two states — Israel and Palestine, but only the Israeli one was created.
A new round of confrontation began after on the morning of October 7, Israel was subjected to an unprecedented-scale missile attack from Gaza Strip. After massive shelling, Hamas fighters entered the border areas in the south of the Jewish state, where they opened fire on both military and civilians, and also took hostages. The movement's military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, announced Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.
In response, the Israel Defense Forces launched Operation Iron Swords in the Gaza Strip. Within days of the attack, the Israeli military took control of all populated areas near the border and began conducting airstrikes against targets, including civilians, in the enclave. In addition, Israel announced a complete blockade of Gaza: supplies of water, food, electricity, medicine and fuel were suspended.
The number of victims in the Gaza Strip exceeded nine thousand people, 32 thousand were injured. More than 1.4 thousand people died in Israel, including 20 Russians. In addition, according to various estimates, Hamas may hold about 200-250 people captive.
Moscow called on the parties to stop hostilities. According to the position of President Vladimir Putin, the settlement of the Middle East crisis is possible only on the basis of a two-state formula approved by the UN Security Council, which provides for the creation of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders with its capital in East Jerusalem.