Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that preventing humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip is "justified and ethical." Smotrich, speaking at a conference hosted by the newspaper "Israel Hayom," said, "We are bringing aid to the sector because there is no other choice," noting that "in the current global reality, we cannot manage the war. No one will allow us to cause the death of two million civilians from starvation, even if it is justified and ethical for the sake of retrieving our hostages." He added, "Humanity for humanity is ethically justified, but what can we do? We are living today in a certain reality. We need international legitimacy for this war," emphasizing that "Israel must regain full control over what enters the sector."
Smotrich asserted that "if there had been a Jewish settlement in Gush Katif, the massacre on October 7 would not have happened, and Hamas would not have taken control of Gaza and turned it into a giant terrorist monster," adding: "Wherever there is no settlement, there is terrorism. We are committed to rebuilding the area around the Gaza border from destruction, and an integral part of that is the settlement in Gaza, which will restore security to Be'eri."
He clarified that "although he supports Israeli control over Gaza, he does not consider it one of the war's objectives," stating: "Resettlement in the Gaza Strip should not be the goal of the current war. It is important to focus the war on the objectives agreed upon in Israeli society, such as destroying Hamas and returning the hostages."
