The Israeli finance minister also called to encourage voluntary migration from Gaza, saying the Strip's population could be reduced by more than half within two years.
Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Monday that Israel must occupy the Gaza Strip in the wake of the war with Hamas.
Speaking at a conference organized by the Yesha Council, the umbrella group of local authorities in Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley, he said this was both “possible and necessary,” according to Channel 12 News, emphasizing that “we shouldn’t shy away from this term.”
The Israel Defense Forces taking responsibility for the civilian administration of Gaza “is a non-negotiable condition,” he added.