Israeli Minister Says Freeing Hostages Not ‘Most Important’ Aim of the War

In a contentious statement, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich claimed that rescuing hostages in Gaza wasn’t Israel’s top priority in its war with Hamas, instead emphasizing the need to dismantle Hamas’ rule in Gaza. He asserted, “We need to eliminate the problem of Gaza,” as part of a broader push to ensure it no longer poses a threat to Israelis. The conflict was launched after Hamas’ deadly attack on southern Israel, with aims including destroying Hamas and restoring Israelis’ sense of safety following nearly 1,200 deaths in the surprise assault.