ALBAWABA- A prominent figure of the Israeli far-right wing, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, has drawn widespread condemnation after declaring that the return of kidnapped Israeli soldiers from Gaza is not the government's top priority.
According to Channel 13, Smotrich stated, “The truth must be told — returning the kidnapped soldiers is not the most important goal.”
Instead, he emphasized that the government is focusing its efforts on expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank, announcing plans to construct 3,600 housing units and establish five new settlements in the Gush Etzion area.
He further praised the opening of what he called the longest road in the West Bank, describing it as a significant step in the normalization and expansion of Israeli settlements.
The remarks have provoked outrage among the families of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza, who called Smotrich’s comments disgraceful and insensitive.
Public sentiment appears to echo their frustration. A recent poll conducted by the Israeli Broadcasting Authority found that 56 percent of Israelis support making a deal with Hamas to secure the return of the captives, even if it entails ending the ongoing war.
At the same time, settler activity and Israeli military operations in the West Bank and Gaza have escalated. Groups of Israeli settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, performing Talmudic rituals and prayers under heavy police protection.
Reports from settlement monitoring sites noted that approximately 65,000 settlers visited the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron during the recent Jewish Passover holiday.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces carried out military raids in Aida refugee camp and the towns of Beit Fajjar and Doha in the Bethlehem governorate.
In Hebron, Israeli occupation forces, accompanied by demolition vehicles, stormed the town of Beit Ummar, increasing tensions in the region.
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli bombardment continues unabated. In the latest attack, an airstrike targeted a residential home in the town of Bani Suhaila, east of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, killing and injuring at least five Palestinians.
The assault is part of a broader campaign that has seen dozens of Palestinians killed and wounded on a near-daily basis, as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens with no immediate end in sight.
