Smotrich: I have lost confidence in Netanyahu's ability to achieve victory in Gaza

SadaNews - Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Saturday evening that he has lost confidence in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ability to achieve victory in Gaza.

In a video posted on his official account on the "X" platform, Smotrich stated: "Over 22 months of war, we have paid heavy prices, but we have achieved great accomplishments on all fronts of the battle."

He added: "In Gaza, we inflicted severe damage on Hamas and eliminated most of its leaders and a significant part of its terrorist infrastructure. But the work is not yet complete, and the objectives of the war have not been fully achieved."

He continued: "In recent weeks, I have been working intensively with the Prime Minister on a dramatic step to achieve victory in Gaza. A combination of swift military decisiveness and an immediate political step will cost Hamas dearly, destroy its military and civilian capabilities, and impose unprecedented pressure on it to release the hostages, while boosting the morale of the Israeli people. For weeks, it seemed that the Prime Minister supported the plan. He discussed its details with me and gave the impression that he was seeking decisiveness and intended this time to go all the way. But unfortunately, he has backed away from that position."

The Israeli minister revealed that Netanyahu and the cabinet "surrendered and let emotion triumph over reason, and decided once again to do more of the same, to launch a military operation aimed not at decisiveness, but just to pressure Hamas into reaching a partial deal for the hostages, with a clear statement that if Hamas agrees to the deal, then we will also agree to stop again, withdraw again, and allow it to recover and rearm once more. And so on and so forth."

He emphasized that "sending tens of thousands of fighters to maneuver in the city of Gaza while putting their lives at risk, incurring heavy political and international costs, just to pressure Hamas to release the hostages, and then withdrawing, is immoral and illogical stupidity."

He added: "Unfortunately, for the first time since the beginning of the war, I feel that I simply cannot stand behind this decision and support it. My conscience does not allow it."

He concluded by stating: "A war for victory until the end: yes, even if it has heavy costs. But a partial step aimed only at bringing Hamas back to the negotiating table in national humiliation and surrender to terrorism? No and a thousand times no."