According to a report by Channels Television, Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu, an ultranationalist politician and a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition, said that using an atomic bomb on Gaza was “one option” to deal with the Hamas militants who have been firing rockets at Israel since October 7…CONTINUE READING>>...CONTINUE READING THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
Eliyahu’s remarks sparked outrage and condemnation from both Israeli and international officials, who denounced them as irresponsible and disconnected from reality.
Netanyahu’s office issued a statement saying that Eliyahu’s statements were “not based in reality” and that Israel was trying to spare “non-combatants” in Gaza. Eliyahu was suspended from government meetings “until further notice” and ordered to apologize for his comments.
Eliyahu later tried to backtrack on his statement, saying that it was “metaphorical” and that he did not mean to suggest using a nuclear weapon on Gaza.
He said that he was expressing his frustration with the ongoing conflict and the lack of a decisive response from Israel. However, his clarification did not appease his critics, who accused him of inciting violence and endangering Israel’s security and reputation.
Israel has never admitted to having a nuclear bomb, but it is widely believed to possess a secret arsenal of nuclear weapons. Israel’s policy of nuclear ambiguity is meant to deter potential enemies from attacking it, but also to avoid international scrutiny and pressure to join the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
Eliyahu’s suggestion of using a nuclear bomb on Gaza, even if hypothetical, violated this policy and exposed Israel to possible diplomatic and legal consequences.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has been raging since October 7, when Hamas fighters carried out a deadly attack inside southern Israel, killing 1,400 people, mostly civilians. Israel responded with a massive military campaign in Gaza, targeting Hamas’s infrastructure, weapons, and leaders.
The Gaza health ministry, run by Hamas, says that 9,488 people have been killed in Gaza, most of them women and children. The United Nations and human rights groups have accused both sides of committing war crimes and violating international humanitarian law…CONTINUE READING>>
