Smotrich calls on Netanyahu to conquer Gaza, establish military government and settlements

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to order the IDF's complete takeover of the Gaza Strip, establish a military government, and permit Jewish settlements there. Speaking to students at the Sderot Yeshiva on Sunday, August 16, 2026, Smotrich argued that Israel's security depends on settlements, stating that where there is settlement, there is an army and security. He also backed voluntary emigration from Gaza and criticized US President Donald Trump's plan for an international force to disarm Hamas, saying no other country will send soldiers to shed their blood. Smotrich framed the choice as 'either us or them,' referring to the population of Gaza. The event followed a day of targeted killings of Hamas operatives in the Strip.