Photo:Morocco World News
Nov 5, 2023. Posted by Balkan Periscope - Hellas
Palestine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned on Sunday
“inflammatory” remarks made by an Israeli minister hinting at the
possibility of a potential nuclear strike on Gaza.
“These remarks are a translation of the genocidal war that Israel has been waging against the Gaza Strip for 30 days,” the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said the Israeli minister’s comments “are a clear reflection
of the incitement campaigns advocated by Israeli officials to destroy Gaza and
displace its residents,” adding that it is a “blow to all the countries
demanding Israel to comply with international law, human rights principles, and
the protection of civilians.”
In a radio interview, Israeli heritage minister Amihay Eliyahu was asked
about a hypothetical nuclear option as part of Israel’s ongoing military attack
on Gaza.
He replied: “That’s one way.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Eliyahu had been
suspended “until further notice,” after his remarks caused a scandal in
mainstream Israeli media and the larger Arab world.
“Eliyahu’s statements are not based in reality. Israel and the IDF
(military) are operating in accordance with the highest standards of
international law to avoid harming innocents. We will continue to do so until
our victory,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
The Palestinian foreign ministry said Eliyahu’s remarks align with Israel’s
policies “that deny the existence of Palestinians on their land, reject their
rights, and evade [Israel’s] responsibilities under international law and
legitimate international resolutions.”
In a social media post on X, Eliyahu said: “It is clear to anyone who is
sensible that the nuclear remark was metaphorical,” adding that “a strong and
disproportionate response to terrorism is definitely required, which will
clarify to the Nazis and their supporters that terrorism is not worthwhile.”
The minister, of the Itamar Ben Gvir’s far-right party, is not part of the
Israeli cabinet involved in the wartime decision-making, nor does he hold sway
in directing the war against Hamas, according to the Times of Israel, who
quoted Eliyahu as saying that the northern Gaza Strip has no right to exist and
anyone waving a Palestinian or Hamas flag “shouldn’t continue living on the
face of the earth.”
A spokesperson for Hamas said Eliyahu’s remarks reflected the
“unprecedented criminal Israeli terrorism that constitutes danger to the entire
region and the world.
Al Arabiya
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