Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Monday it would be a huge mistake to stop Israel's military offensive in Gaza now.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Reuters/Amir Cohen
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Monday it would be a huge mistake to stop Israel's military offensive in Gaza now.
Smotrich, who heads a pro-settler party which is part of Prime Minister Netanyahu's governing coalition, made the comment as Israeli officials continued talks via mediators about a possible ceasefire deal with Palestinian militant group Hamas.
He wrote on social media platform X: "Hamas is collapsing and begging for a ceasefire. This is the time to squeeze the neck until we crush and break the enemy. To stop now, just before the end, and let him recover and fight us again, is a senseless folly."
Reporting by Christian Lowe; Editing by Hugh Lawson
Germany on Monday moved to resume weapons sales to Israel that had been suspended since August over the war in Gaza, but said the decision is subject to the observance of the ceasefire and the large-scale provision of humanitarian aid.
In a few days Washington will try to sell the world a neat package. Saudi Arabia gets a historic security pact and astronomical American weapons.
After a sharp contraction earlier this year, Israel’s economy roared back to life in the third quarter of 2025, posting an impressive 12.4% annualized growth, according to preliminary data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.