AhlulBayt News Agency: Far‑right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has once again urged the reoccupation of the Gaza Strip and the establishment of a military administration there, a proposal sharply rejected by opposition leader Yair Lapid, who labeled the idea as pure “fantasy.”
Israel’s Maariv newspaper reported that Smotrich, during a Monday evening press conference, outlined his vision to “seize Gaza, impose a military government, construct Israeli settlements, and promote the voluntary migration of Gaza’s population.”
Lapid responded in remarks to Maariv, saying that Smotrich “is living in a fantasy world,” adding that he felt obligated to “explain reality to a minister who seems unable to grasp it.”
He pointed out that Gaza still has “30,000 Hamas fighters,” and that the so‑called Peace Council includes Türkiye and Qatar. Lapid added that the technocratic governing body approved by the Israeli government is effectively under the Palestinian Authority’s control.
Lapid further noted that Palestinian Authority personnel are stationed at the Rafah crossing, stamping passports of those entering Gaza with official PA seals, describing this as “the actual situation on the ground.”
He added that he had no objection to Smotrich “living in a world of imagination,” but questioned why such ideas were being presented publicly.
Israel launched a massive military campaign on Gaza on October 7, 2023, with U.S. backing, a war that continued for two years and left more than 72,000 Palestinians dead and over 171,000 injured, the majority women and children. Nearly 90 percent of civilian infrastructure was destroyed.
Although a ceasefire was reached in October 2025, Israeli forces have continued to conduct airstrikes and demolition operations across Gaza, actions widely described as repeated violations of the agreement.
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