Israeli minister suspended after suggesting nuking Gaza was 'possibility'

05 November 2023 , 22:16

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Suspended Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu (Image: Wikidata)

A ministers who claimed dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza was an option has been suspended by the Israeli government.

Asked whether a weapon of mass destruction should be used on the Strip, Amichai Eliyahu said “this is one of the possibilities”. And when quizzed about the fate of the Palestinian population, the heritage minister added: “They can go to Ireland or deserts. The monsters in Gaza should find a solution by themselves.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu moved swiftly to rebuke the Mr Eliyahu, calling his words “detached from reality”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (AP)

He posted on X: "Minister Amihai Eliyahu's statements are not based in reality. Israel and the IDF are operating in accordance with the highest standards of international law to avoid harming innocents. We will continue to do so until our victory."

Opposition leader Yair Lapid described the claims as “a horrifying and insane remark by an irresponsible minister.”

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Mr Eliyahu later argued his quip had been purely metaphorical. Meanwhile, an IDF insider said Hezbollah troops are “ready to move” amid the worst escalation on Israel’s norther border in 17 years. Israel’s war planes attacked terror group Hezbollah on the border with Lebanon today.

Jeremy Armstrong