Smotrich to Lapid: Israel is not funding aid to Gaza - period

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich denied Opposition Leader Yair Lapid's claim that Israel was funding humanitarian aid efforts through Swiss straw companies.

Here's his full statement:

"The State of Israel does not fund humanitarian aid to Gaza citizens. Period.

"But look who is fighting against our dramatic move to take control of humanitarian aid so that it doesn't reach Hamas and so that we can finally choke it, defeat it and destroy it: the UN, Hamas, the global leftist media and Haaretz newspaper. In short, everyone who wants the State of Israel to lose and surrender and understands how dramatic the American company's move is. Now let someone explain to me why Yair Lapid is joining the opponents and those who prefer that aid continues to flow to Hamas and strengthen its rule."

For the past several months, Yair Lapid has led the charge for agreeing to an end to the war on Hamas' terms, with all the hostages being released at once in exchange for an end to the war and a freeing of whoever Hamas wants, and he is thus opposed to any continuation of the war.