Tue May 06 16:35:41 UTC 2025: ## Israeli Finance Minister Predicts Total Destruction of Gaza, West Bank Annexation
**Jerusalem, May 6, 2025** – Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has declared that a complete destruction of the Gaza Strip is the outcome of Israel’s war with Hamas. Speaking at a conference in the occupied West Bank settlement of Ofra, Smotrich stated that following the conflict, Gaza’s civilian population will be relocated to a humanitarian zone in southern Gaza, eventually emigrating to third countries. He further voiced his ambition for the annexation of the West Bank during the current government’s term, calling it a crucial challenge for Israeli leadership.
Smotrich’s comments, reflecting a growing sentiment among some Israeli officials, have sparked international concern. The West Bank, excluding Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem, is home to three million Palestinians and approximately 490,000 Israeli settlers residing in settlements deemed illegal under international law. The minister’s statements follow a recent trend of increasingly vocal calls for West Bank annexation from prominent Israeli figures.
First Piper 