Israeli leaders have disavowed the remarks from a fringe government official who suggested the military could use a nuclear weapon in its war with Hamas.
Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu responded in a radio interview on Sunday to a suggestion that they should drop a nuke on Gaza, saying, “That’s one way.”
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“The second way is to work out what’s important to them, what scares them, what deters them … They’re not scared of death,” Eliyahu, a member of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s far-right Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party, said.
He does not have any connection to the war cabinet directing the war against the Hamas terror group that conducted the unprecedented attacks on Oct. 7 that left roughly 1,400 people dead, nor is he part of the broader security cabinet.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who himself has made inflammatory statements since the war began roughly a month ago, said, “Minister Amihai Eliyahu’s statements are not based in reality,” and he added, “Israel and the IDF are operating in accordance with the highest standards of international law to avoid harming innocents. We will continue to do so until our victory.”
Eliyahu later sought to clarify his statement, saying it was “clear to all sensible people” that his reference to nuclear weapons had been “metaphorical.”
Various media outlets reported that Eliyahu had been suspended following the remarks.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also condemned the “baseless and irresponsible” remarks in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, adding he was glad “these are not the people in charge of Israel’s security.”
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid called on Netanyahu to fire Eliyahu.
“He offended the families of the captives [being held in Gaza], offended Israeli society, and harmed our international standing,” Lapid said. “The presence of the extremists in the government endangers us and the success of the war goals — defeating Hamas and returning the hostages … Netanyahu must fire him this morning.”
Eliyahu showed little sympathy for the plight of innocent Palestinian civilians caught in the crossfire of Israel’s war against Hamas.
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He objected to allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza, arguing, “We wouldn’t hand the Nazis humanitarian aid,” adding that “there is no such thing as uninvolved civilians in Gaza.” Regarding the Palestinians who were asked to evacuate their homes or fled due to fear for their well-being, he said, “They can go to Ireland or deserts; the monsters in Gaza should find a solution by themselves.”
Israel has dropped thousands of bombs and launched thousands of airstrikes in its aerial campaign against Hamas since the terror attack a month ago. The death toll, civilians and combatants, is reportedly above 9,000, according to the Palestinian health ministry, which is controlled by Hamas. The strikes have also ravaged Gaza’s infrastructure while creating conditions that experts say could become a humanitarian crisis.
