Israeli minister rejects Trump's peace board, urges Gaza occupation

2026-01-25 - 21:05

A senior Israeli minister has launched a sharp attack against US President Donald Trump's proposed "Board of Peace," advocating instead for a full military occupation of the Gaza Strip and raising the possibility of resigning from the coalition government. Strock's Critique and Call for Occupation In a radio interview on Sunday, Settlement Affairs Minister Orit Strock denounced the recently chartered international board as a "flawed initiative." "We are not supposed to endanger our soldiers for this bad plan, and I may have to leave the government," she stated. She argued that Israel should re-enter and occupy Gaza, questioning to whom authority would subsequently be transferred. Referencing Israel's 2005 withdrawal, she said, "To the Palestinian Authority? We did that in 2005 and saw the result." Contradiction with Ceasefire Terms and Internal Tensions Strock's hardline position directly contradicts key provisions of the ongoing ceasefire, which includes steps toward the disarmament of Hamas and an eventual Israeli military withdrawal to facilitate reconstruction. Hamas has rejected surrendering its weapons. Strock insisted that "Israel should remain the sole authority in Gaza" after disarming the territory. Her comments expose significant fissures within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government regarding