Smoke rises after an Israeli strike on the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza Strip on May 6, 2025. (Credit: Eyad Baba/AFP)
"We will occupy Gaza to stay. There will be no more entries or exits. This is a war for victory, and it is time to stop being afraid of the word 'occupation,'" declared Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, an ultranationalist, on Monday, following the approval by the Security Council of expanding the war in the strip of land. He stated the objective of this new maneuver called "The Chariots of Gideon": "We will not withdraw from conquered lands, even in exchange for hostages. The only way to free the hostages is to subject Hamas. Once we occupy Gaza and we are there, then we can talk about sovereignty." Essentially, the plan involves bringing new Israeli reservists into the enclave, destruction of areas suspected of still harboring Hamas members and massive displacement of the civilian...
"We will occupy Gaza to stay. There will be no more entries or exits. This is a war for victory, and it is time to stop being afraid of the word 'occupation,'" declared Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, an ultranationalist, on Monday, following the approval by the Security Council of expanding the war in the strip of land. He stated the objective of this new maneuver called "The Chariots of Gideon": "We will not withdraw from conquered lands, even in exchange for hostages. The only way to free the hostages is to subject Hamas. Once we occupy Gaza and we are there, then we can talk about sovereignty." Essentially, the plan involves bringing new Israeli reservists into the enclave, destruction of areas suspected of still harboring Hamas members and massive displacement of the civilian...
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