Smotrich delivers a bombshell: "This time, we will not give back territory we capture"

Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated at the “Besheva” Jerusalem Conference that the cabinet made a dramatic decision yesterday, even more significant than it initially appears: “No withdrawals – not even as part of a deal”

"From the moment a maneuver begins, there will be no withdrawal from the territories we have captured, not even in exchange for hostages. The only way to free the hostages is to subdue Hamas.”

This signifies a definite shift from the last phase of the hostage deal, which included an Israeli withdrawal. “We are capturing Gaza to stay: no more entering and exiting. This is a war for victory. It’s time to stop being afraid of the word ‘occupation.’ We are defeating Hamas: We will not surrender, it will surrender.”

According to Smotrich, all residents of the Gaza Strip will be evacuated south of the Morag axis, to an area where humanitarian aid will be distributed under Israeli security. Humanitarian aid will not be distributed anywhere else.

Smotrich added: “We are going to finally conquer the Gaza Strip. We will stop being afraid of the word ‘occupation.’ It was the most trivial word in the early days of the state – a people with a zest for life conquers its land.

Smotrich confirmed that the possibility of annexation is on the table: “Once we conquer territory and stay there, we can talk about sovereignty. But I didn’t demand that this be included in the war’s objectives. First, we will defeat Hamas and prevent it from existing.”