Top Israeli Politician Demands in the Parliament that Gaza be Burned

On Friday, Nissim Vaturi, deputy speaker of the Knesset in Israel, urged the military to “burn” Gaza and block all fuel and water supplies to the Palestinian enclave until hostages held by Hamas are released. This statement adds to a series of provocative remarks by Israeli politicians amid the ongoing conflict with Hamas.

Vaturi, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “All of this preoccupation with whether or not there is internet in Gaza shows that we have learned nothing. We are too humane. Burn Gaza now, nothing less! Don’t allow fuel in, don’t allow water in until the hostages are returned!”

This follows Prime Minister Netanyahu suspending Heritage Minister Amihai Eliyahu earlier this month for suggesting the use of nuclear weapons against Gaza. In the October 7 attack by Hamas, over 200 hostages were taken, resulting in around 1,200 casualties, mostly civilians. Israel responded with a bombing campaign and a ground invasion of Gaza.

The blockade imposed by Israel on the Palestinian enclave, criticized by the UN and human rights groups, has worsened the already dire humanitarian situation. According to Gazan Healthy Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra, 24 patients at Al-Shifa hospital, Gaza’s largest medical facility, died during an Israeli raid, with the IDF accusing Hamas of using hospitals for military purposes.

Since October 7, over 11,000 people have died in Gaza. The UN Security Council passed a resolution on Wednesday, calling for humanitarian pauses in the fighting and the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas.”