Far-Right Israeli Minister Vows ‘Not Even a Grain of Wheat’ Will Enter Gaza
Occupied Palestine (Quds News Network)- Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Monday that he would maintain the total blockade on aid entering the Gaza Strip, vowing that “not even a grain of wheat will enter Gaza.”
He made his remarks while speaking at Israeli outlet Yedioth Ahronoth’s People of Israel Conference.
On 2 March, Israel closed all the Palestinian enclave’s border crossings, halting the flow of much-needed humanitarian aid and further exacerbating the territory’s crises.
On March 18, Israel resumed its full-scale attacks on Gaza, killing over 1,400 Palestinians and wounded over 3,600, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Smotrich’s statement comes after Israeli reports had claimed that Israel was considering the reopening of some aid flow into Gaza.
Smotrich insisted on prioritising the complete defeat of Hamas over the release of Israeli captives.
“It’s good that the war has begun, and it’s unfortunate that it began this way, but we are changing the reality in the Middle East,” he said.
Israel has been accused of using starvation as a weapon of war during its attacks on the besieged enclave, with it being one of the main crimes that led the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, in November.
Smotrich has repeatedly advocated for strict measures against the Gaza Strip, including halting humanitarian aid.
In August 2024, Smotrich remarked that it might be “justified and moral” to block humanitarian aid to Gaza, even if it results in civilian starvation, to pressure Hamas into releasing the captives. This statement drew sharp criticism from international leaders, including UK Foreign Minister David Lammy, who condemned it as a violation of international law.
More recently, in March, Smotrich supported Israel’s decision to completely halt the humanitarian aid to Gaza. He described this action as an “important step in the right direction” and called for “opening the gates of hell” on Gaza.
