Israeli Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu has been suspended from government meetings “until further notice” after he suggested using a nuclear bomb on Gaza during an interview. This controversial statement came in response to Hamas’ October 7 surprise attacks, with Eliyahu advocating a fierce military response, even if it meant risking the lives of hostages believed to be held in Gaza.
Hamas responded by calling Eliyahu’s statements “unprecedented criminal Israeli terrorism” that posed a danger to the entire region and the world. Meanwhile, the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum, representing relatives of those taken hostage by Hamas, condemned Eliyahu’s statement as “reckless and cruel.”
When asked during the interview if he supported the use of an “atomic bomb” on Gaza to kill everyone, Eliyahu responded with “That’s one option.” In response to these remarks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office swiftly issued a statement, describing Eliyahu’s comments as “disconnected from reality” and emphasized Israel’s commitment to sparing non-combatants in Gaza.
The international community expressed outrage over the minister’s remarks. Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit saw Eliyahu’s comments as confirmation of Israel’s possession of nuclear weapons, and Saudi Arabia criticized the Israeli government for not immediately dismissing him. Jordan described the minister’s remarks as a “call for genocide and a hate crime” against the Palestinians, while former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif called on the International Atomic Energy Agency to monitor Israel’s nuclear sites and urged the world to respond decisively to this extremism and nuclear rhetoric.
Eliyahu later stated that his mention of an atomic bomb was “metaphorical” and reiterated Israel’s commitment to ensuring the safe return of the hostages. It’s worth noting that Israel has never officially admitted to possessing a nuclear bomb.
The attacks, according to Israeli officials, resulted in the death of 1,400 people, primarily civilians. However, Gaza’s health ministry claims that Israel’s military campaign since October 7 has killed 9,770 people, with most of the casualties being women and children.
As a result of his comments, Eliyahu, a member of the ruling coalition, was suspended from cabinet meetings “until further notice.”