Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Monday proposed occupying Gaza and reducing its population by half through “voluntary emigration.”

The Times of Israel reported that Smotrich, speaking at a Yesha Council conference, said Israel should “encourage” half of Gaza’s 2.2 million Palestinians to emigrate within two years.

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“It is possible to create a situation where Gaza’s population will be reduced to half its current size in two years,” he said. “It won’t cost too much money,” he claimed. “Even if it does, we should not be afraid to pay for it.”

Smotrich defended the plan as necessary for defeating Hamas, asserting that Israel must replace Gaza’s governing authority, even if it requires the Israeli Defense Forces to manage civilian affairs. “Occupying Gaza is not a dirty word,” he said. “If the cost of security control is 5 billion shekels ($1.37 billion), I will accept it with open arms.”

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Critics argue the policy of “voluntary emigration,” also promoted by far-right minister Itamar Ben Gvir, is a euphemism for forced displacement — a potential war crime. Smotrich claimed the strategy could be replicated in the West Bank, where three million Palestinians reside.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied the idea of resettling Gaza, but critics warn the ongoing conflict could lead in that direction, especially as Israel’s military fortifies positions in the Strip.

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Netanyahu has also ruled out involving the Palestinian Authority in post-war Gaza, likening it to Hamas.

Read more at the Times of Israel.