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Amichay Eliyahu’s comments came amid growing hunger in the territory, where Israel controls the delivery of food.
July 24, 2025, 12:21 p.m. ET
Amid rising starvation in the Gaza Strip, an Israeli government minister said on Thursday that Israel had no duty to alleviate hunger in the territory and was seeking to expel its population.
Amichay Eliyahu, a far-right lawmaker who leads Israel’s Heritage Ministry, said in a radio interview that “there is no nation that feeds its enemies,” adding that “the British didn’t feed the Nazis, nor did the Americans feed the Japanese, nor do the Russians feed the Ukrainians now.” He concluded that the government was “rushing toward Gaza being wiped out,” while also “driving out the population that educated its people on the ideas of ‘Mein Kampf,’” an antisemitic text written by Adolf Hitler.
The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined to comment on whether Mr. Eliyahu’s remarks had represented the government’s official position.
An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity to comment on Israel’s political leadership, said Mr. Eliyahu’s comments did not reflect military policy. Mr. Eliyahu oversees historical and archaeological sites and institutions in Israel and has no authority over the Israeli military. He does not participate in meetings of a small group of ministers who oversee security decisions. His office did not reply to requests for clarification.
Mr. Eliyahu’s comments were swiftly condemned by Israeli opposition politicians, who said the minister did not represent the Israeli mainstream. Polling suggests a majority of Israelis favor reaching a cease-fire to release hostages held by Hamas.
Mr. Eliyahu’s interview came amid increasing cases of starvation in Gaza. Israel — which controls all access to Gaza — blocked all food deliveries to the enclave between early March and late May.
