Smotrich Calls for Annexing Areas in Gaza and Lebanon and Proposing 'Voluntary Migration' for Palestinians

Tel Aviv - Afaq News - Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for the imposition of what he described as "Israeli sovereignty" permanently over the areas currently occupied by Israel in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, in statements made during the "National Preservation" conference held in Jerusalem, coinciding with the upcoming Israeli elections scheduled for October 27.

Smotrich said during his speech at the conference that Israel must take a step beyond temporary military control to impose permanent sovereignty over the lands it has come to control during the ongoing conflict in Gaza and Lebanon.

The "National Preservation" conference is being held in Jerusalem from October 6 to 8, and includes a number of political, academic, and media figures.

Smotrich stated: "I call on the State of Israel to extend its sovereignty permanently over the areas currently under its control in both Gaza and Lebanon."

He added: "This would show our enemies the price of defeat and create a deterrent force against any future attacks targeting Israel and its citizens."

In the same context, Smotrich, who belongs to the far-right Israeli faction, called for what he described as a path for "voluntary migration" for Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, considering that the departure of the residents of the Strip to other countries should be an available option for those who wish to do so.

The extremist minister claimed: "Gaza has become the largest prison in the world, and this is due to the hypocrisy of Egypt, which refuses to allow residents of Gaza who wish to leave to cross through its territory to other countries."

He continued by saying that this matter is also related, as he described it, to the position of Arab countries, which he said show interest in the Palestinians and the residents of Gaza, but at the same time refuse to host them.

Smotrich said: "It is also due to the hypocrisy of Arab countries that show great love and interest in the Palestinians and the residents of Gaza - provided they remain here and are used as a weapon in the war against the State of Israel - while they themselves refuse to host them."

Smotrich had previously raised the idea of 'voluntary migration' for the residents of Gaza on several occasions, and he renewed his call for adopting this path during the Jerusalem conference, coinciding with his proposal to impose permanent Israeli sovereignty over the areas controlled by Israel in Gaza and Lebanon.

Israeli reports indicated that Smotrich presented the proposals as part of a broader vision concerning the end of current wars and the redefinition of Israeli deterrence in the region.

The "National Preservation" conference, which hosted Smotrich's statements for the first time in Jerusalem, is organized from October 6 to 8, with the participation of officials, political figures, academics, and media personalities, while the conference administration included Smotrich among the main speakers at its events.