Far-right Israeli minister Smotrich calls for annexation of Gaza Strip and expulsion of Palestinians
Slamming the new U.S.-backed "Gaza Board of Peace," Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared Saturday that the plan is doomed to fail, arguing that Israel's "original sin" was refusing to establish full military rule and build Jewish settlements in the enclave.
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- Published Date: 03:55 | 18 January 2026
- Modified Date: 04:00 | 18 January 2026
Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for the annexation of the Gaza Strip, the establishment of Israeli military rule in the territory, the expulsion of Palestinians, and the building of new illegal settlements.
In a public statement, Smotrich claimed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was reluctant to move forward with annexing Gaza and building new settlements there. He accused Netanyahu of failing to take responsibility for the occupation and annexation of the enclave.
Smotrich argued that Gaza should be formally annexed by Israel, placed under direct military administration, and that Palestinians should be displaced to make way for new Israeli communities. He further alleged that Netanyahu's approach had led to the proposal of "strange and unrealistic" mechanisms for governing Gaza that exclude both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.
The far-right minister also criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's peace plan, describing elements of it as misguided. He voiced particular opposition to the inclusion of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in the newly announced Gaza Governance Council.
Earlier, Netanyahu stated that the Gaza Governance Council unveiled by President Trump had been formed without consultation with Israel and contradicted the policies of the Tel Aviv government.
The Gaza Governance Council is intended to oversee and support the activities of the High Representative's Office and the Gaza Administration National Committee, bodies established to manage the territory's post-war administration.
The council is set to include figures such as Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi, Egypt's General Hassan Rashad, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, financier Marc Rowan, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Al-Hashimy, Nikolay Mladenov, Israeli-born Cypriot businessman Yakir Gabay, and UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Sigrid Kaag.