Israeli minister says dropping atomic bomb on Gaza 'an option’, Netanyahu reacts 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday rejected the statement made by Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu regarding the potential use of an atomic bomb on the Gaza Strip. Minister Eliyahu had earlier suggested this as a possible response to the escalating hostilities with Palestine-based Hamas militants in the Gaza strip. 

“Minister Amihai Eliyahu's statements are not based in reality. 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,” wrote the Prime Minister of Israel's official handle on social media 'X'.

When asked if an atomic bomb should be detonated on the enclave in an interview with Radio Kol Berama, Eliyahu answered, "This is one of the possibilities."

Netanyahu slammed Eliyahu's remarks, saying they are "not based in reality." 

Israel's opposition leader and former Israeli Prime Minister Yair also chastised Eliyahu, calling for his dismissal as a "irresponsible minister."

Minister Eliyahu recently called all Gaza Strip occupants as "Nazis", indicating his belief that every civilian in this strife-torn region is in some way associated with Hamas.

Adding fuel to the fire, Eliyahu voiced his objection to the provision of humanitarian aid to the war-ravaged Strip. He also advocated for Israel's re-occupation of the Gaza Strip and revitalising the settlements.

When probed about the fate of Palestinians if Gaza were to fall back under Israeli control, Eliyahu suggested that the "monsters in Gaza" should relocate to "Ireland or deserts" and discover a resolution independently. 

“We wouldn’t hand the Nazis humanitarian aid… there is no such thing as uninvolved civilians in Gaza,” the minister was quoted as saying.

Eliyahu said, “They can go to Ireland or deserts, the monsters in Gaza should find a solution by themselves.”

Eliyahu stated in the interview that the northern Strip has no right to exist. 

According to The Times of Israel, he said that anyone who carries a Palestinian or Hamas flag should not survive on the "face of the earth" any more.

In response to backlash over the controversial comment, Eliyahu took to X to issue a clarification. Eliyahu stated, "It's clear to anyone with a brain" that he did not mean it in its literal sense. 

"We indeed must display a forceful and disproportional response to terror, which will clarify to the Nazis and their supporters that terrorism isn’t worthwhile. This is the only formula with which democracies can deal with terror," he further added.

At the same time, he stated that Israel is "obligated" to do all possible to ensure the safe return of hostages.

Despite his damage control, Netanyahu has suspended the minister from cabinet sessions indefinitely, according to The Times of Israel. According to the report, a cabinet meeting scheduled for today has been cancelled, with no alternative date given.

Eliyahu's assertion comes as the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza persists as a result of Israeli airstrikes in reprisal for Hamas's October 7 attack. 

Despite international leaders pushing Netanyahu to call a ceasefire in Gaza, he has stated that doing so would mean his country's capitulation to Hamas.

Hamas's assault claimed the lives of approximately 1,400 Israelis, and more than 200 people were taken hostage. The violence shows no signs of abating, with both sides refusing to back down and the human toll increasing each day. 

Hamas has reported that the ongoing warfare has resulted in the death of over 9,400 Palestinians. Amid these hostilities, ordinary citizens, trapped in the crossfire, bear the brunt of a devastating humanitarian crisis.

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