Likud ministers call to annex part of northern Gaza to punish Hamas for hostage executions

Amid various declarations by Israeli leaders that Hamas will “pay a price” for the execution of six Israeli hostages, some voices are renewing calls to make Hamas pay a price in land, and annex part of the Gaza Strip.

On Monday, five ministers expressed their support for the idea, including Economy Minister Nir Barkat, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli, Environment Minister Idit Silman (all from the Likud Party), and Settlements Minister Orit Strock (Religious Zionism party).

Barkat advocated for the creation of a “price list,” saying Israel “should charge a certain price of X dunams per hostage.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu only responded that “there will be a strong reaction to the murder of the hostages,” which he reiterated later during a rare press conference.

Hamas would pay a heavy price for this “horrible massacre,” Netanyahu declared in a televised speech.

Chikli later repeated his support for the concept of land annexation as a punishment against the terror group.

“I proposed last night at the cabinet meeting to charge an immediate price of land as a response to the murder of our people,” he wrote on 𝕏.

הצעתי אמש בישיבת הממשלה כמענה לרצח אנשינו לגבות מחיר מיידי בקרקע וליצור מסדרון צפוני נוסף, כלומר להשתלט מחדש על מרחב התוחמת הצפונית (מרחב דוגית, ניסנית ואלי סיני לשעבר) ולהעתיק דרומה את גדר המערכת. pic.twitter.com/055VWoitM1

— עמיחי שיקלי - Amichai Chikli (@AmichaiChikli) September 3, 2024

Attaching a map explaining his plan, he advocated for the creation of “another northern corridor, that is, to retake control of the area of ​​the northern boundary (former area of ​​Dugit, Nisanit and Elei Sinai) and move the perimeter fence to the south.”

Silman reportedly went even further, saying the people of Israel should act according to its “operating instructions,” and continue “inheriting the land.”

“Beyond the fact that this is the only way there will be blessing and success – let those in Jenin and Nablus and everywhere know: We want our land back, attack us – and we will inherit it back.”

Noting that the land of Israel was “an inheritance from God,” she underscored: “A price must be charged to Hamas for what they did. Hamas understands the price of land and so do all our enemies.”

This discussion during the government meeting followed a stormy debate in the Security Cabinet the day before, during which Netanyahu and his allies reportedly criticized Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for publicly urging the Cabinet to reverse its decision not to withdraw from the Gaza-Egypt border.

“The decision made Thursday was reached under the assumption that there is time, but if we want the hostages alive, there’s no time,” Gallant reportedly told the ministers, after six Israeli hostages were found murdered by Hamas on Saturday.

“The fact that we prioritize the Philadelphi Corridor at the cost of the lives of the hostages is a moral disgrace,” Gallant said, according to Israeli media.

Supporting the prime minister’s position, Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer said that reversing the declaration on the Philadelphi route would “incentivize murder.”

He added that Israel should “exact a very heavy price from Hamas for murdering the hostages.”

“We must say clearly that we will respond to this with immense power,” Netanyahu concurred, according to Israel Hayom. “If we don’t do this, we will see more such murders.”