The humanitarian tragedy unfolding across Gaza is finding scant attention in the public discourse in Israel, where priorities remain defeating the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and securing the release of Israeli detainees in the enclave.
In truth, the continuous drumbeat of war from Israeli leaders and other politicians has prompted calls for a more devastating fate for the area. With some residents returning to their destroyed homes, Israeli ministers are pushing for resettlement.
Ishaan Tharoor in his column for the Washington Post highlighted the call from members of the right-wing coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to drop a nuclear bomb on the densely populated Gaza Strip, complete eradication of the area as a sign of retribution, and impoverishing its people to such an extent that they have no choice but to leave their homeland.
In this week alone, a Likud party parliamentarian, led by Netanyahu, appeared on television stating that it is clear to most Israelis that "all residents of Gaza need to be destroyed". Following this, Israel’s ambassador to Britain, Tzipi Hotovely, told the local radio that there is no other solution for her country but to demolish “every school, every mosque, and every house” in Gaza to destroy Hamas's military infrastructure.
Tharoor added that this accumulating rhetoric forms part of the 84-page lawsuit submitted by the South African government to the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of committing acts amounting to genocide or failing to prevent it.
South Africa's suit asserted that Israeli authorities had failed to suppress "direct and public incitement to commit genocide" by a group of politicians, journalists, and public officials in Israel.
This includes far-right figures such as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who do not hide their vision for an ethnically cleansed Gaza.
Forced Displacement
Smotrich stated in an interview with the Israeli Army Radio last Sunday that what needs to be done in Gaza is to encourage emigration. On another occasion, Ben-Gvir called for the actual forced displacement of hundreds of thousands from the area.
The writer hinted that Israeli calls for actual ethnic cleansing and possible Israeli resettlement in Gaza might not be reflected in the official stance of the Israeli government in wartime.
Citing some of his colleagues, they say that "in secret, Israeli officials state that proposals to transfer Gaza's residents stem from the political necessities of Netanyahu's coalition and its reliance on the extreme right-wing parties to maintain power."
An individual familiar with the discussions inside the Israeli government told the Washington Post, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, that "military specialists and the security establishment know this is not within the realm of possibilities. They know there is no future without the Gazans in Gaza and the Palestinian Authority as part of the government."
The writer concluded his analysis with a joint message written by a group of prominent Israelis on Wednesday, including former lawmakers and intellectuals, condemning the Israeli judicial authorities for not reining in the widespread "genocide" rhetoric. They said for the first time they can remember, explicit calls to commit atrocities against millions of civilians have become a legitimate and regular part of the Israeli discourse. These calls have become a daily occurrence in Israel.
