Israeli Finance Minister and far-right settler leader Bezalel Smotrich has launched a harsh attack against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the conduct of the war in Gaza.

In a statement on Saturday evening, he said he had “lost confidence” in Netanyahu’s willingness to lead the army to victory, and demanded an even harsher invasion that ends with Hamas’s total defeat and the annexation of Gaza.

Smotrich, who leads the Religious Zionist Party, wants the security cabinet to immediately reconvene and establish that there will be no more “pauses” in the war or any new partial agreements. At Thursday’s government meeting, he also threatened new elections.

— As far as I’m concerned, we can stop everything and let the people decide, Smotrich said according to Israeli public broadcaster KAN.

In his statement, he demands a “decisive” military solution:

— This time we proceed with a clear, sharp move toward a decisive outcome and victory – ending with Hamas’s complete surrender and the return of all the hostages at once, or with its defeat and total destruction. Annex large parts of the Gaza Strip and open its gates to voluntary emigration.

“War should be fought to the end”

He accuses Netanyahu and the cabinet of “succumbing to weaknesses” and conducting military operations that do not aim to defeat Hamas, but only to pressure for partial hostage deals – agreements that mean Israel pauses fighting and thereby allows Hamas to “recover and rearm”.

Smotrich criticizes the fact that tens of thousands of soldiers are risking their lives in Gaza City and that Israel is “paying a heavy political and international cost” without achieving a decisive outcome.

— A war should be fought to win, to the end – even if it carries heavy costs. But a partial move meant only to push Hamas back into the negotiating room, in national humiliation and capitulation to terror – absolutely not, he said.

The finance minister has previously defended the release of convicted Palestinian prisoners and military retreats “for the sake of unity,” but claims his patience has now run out. He argues that as long as Hamas is given the opportunity to get a “breathing pause” in exchange for releasing hostages, the war will continue in an eternal cycle of bloodshed without “decisive outcome”.

לצערי בישיבת הקבינט האחרונה איבדתי את האמון שראש הממשלה יכול ורוצה להוביל את צה”ל להכרעה וניצחון. pic.twitter.com/tyvHKThf5o

— בצלאל סמוטריץ’ (@bezalelsm) August 9, 2025

“Gaza will be totally destroyed”

Smotrich has long been a harshly criticized and controversial politician even at home in Israel. He is an outspoken opponent of Palestinian independence and has demanded that Israel annex the entire West Bank and claimed that no Palestinian people exists.

His political vision aligns closely with the idea of a “Greater Israel”, where Israel’s borders would expand into parts of neighboring countries – something that would in practice make a Palestinian state impossible and cement the Israeli occupation.

On the Gaza issue, Smotrich has pursued a line that many observers describe as extreme even within the current Israeli government. He has openly said that “Gaza will be entirely destroyed” and advocated for large parts of the population to leave the area permanently.

His extreme statements and policies have triggered sharp international criticism and concrete measures. The United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Norway and New Zealand have imposed travel bans with the justification that he incites and legitimizes violence against Palestinians. The EU has warned member countries against receiving him officially and points to allegations that the Israeli minister actively supports violence and dehumanization of Palestinians.