Smotrich: I have lost confidence in Netanyahu's ability to win the Gaza war.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that he has lost "confidence" that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to lead the army towards a decisive victory in the genocide Israel has been waging against the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023.

Smotrich added in a video posted on his account on the X platform that the decision of the security cabinet (the cabinet) to occupy Gaza in order to bring Hamas back to the negotiating table "is foolish and illogical."

He pointed out that "sending thousands of soldiers and creating a danger to their lives in a military operation in Gaza and paying diplomatic and international costs just to exert pressure on Hamas to release the hostages and then withdraw is a moral folly and illogical."

Smotrich continued: "Unfortunately, for the first time since the beginning of the war, I feel that I cannot support this decision or endorse it. I have lost confidence that the Prime Minister can or wants to lead the army to achieve that."

Smotrich's statements represent a rejection of the plan to reoccupy Gaza announced by the Israeli government two days ago, and he is known for his support of plans for the forced displacement of Palestinians from the strip along with settlement in it.

Earlier, the Israeli security cabinet approved a "gradual plan" to fully occupy the Gaza Strip and displace Palestinians from the north to the south, which Netanyahu presented in a move that faced objections from security leaders due to the danger it posed to the lives of hostages and Israeli soldiers in the Palestinian sector.

Smotrich downplayed the significance of this plan, saying that "Netanyahu and the cabinet decided to carry out a military operation whose goal is not a decisive victory, but to exert pressure on Hamas for a partial prisoner deal."

He called on Netanyahu to "convene the cabinet again and declare unequivocally that there will be no stopping in the middle anymore, and no partial deal," urging him to "take a decisive and clear step towards victory."

Smotrich continuously protests against calls for merely conducting airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, demanding that the war continue until the Palestinians are displaced from it for the purpose of settlement.

The private Israeli Channel 14 quoted a senior official in the "Religious Zionism" party, led by Smotrich, as saying that the cabinet's decision is a "sharp fall," threatening to dismantle the government if the Gaza occupation plan does not change.

The plan approved by the Israeli government begins with the occupation of the city of Gaza by displacing its population of about one million to the south, then surrounding the city and conducting incursions into residential areas.

According to United Nations data, 87% of the area of the strip is already under Israeli occupation or subject to evacuation orders, warning that any new military expansion would have "catastrophic consequences."

During the ongoing genocide in the strip since October 7, 2023, the Israeli army occupied the entire city of Gaza except for small areas, remaining there for months before retreating in April 2024 from most of its areas after declaring the "destruction of Hamas's infrastructure in the city."

According to Palestinian officials, parts of the city of Deir al-Balah and the camps in the central governorate were not occupied by Israeli forces, but hundreds of buildings were destroyed there through aerial and artillery bombardment.

With American support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, including killing, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement, ignoring international calls and orders from the International Court of Justice to stop.

The Israeli genocide has resulted in 61,369 martyrs and 152,862 injured Palestinians, most of whom are children and women, with more than 9,000 missing, in addition to hundreds of thousands of displaced persons and famine that has claimed the lives of many, including children.