The statements of the Israeli Minister of Heritage, Amichai Eliyahu, in support of dropping a “nuclear bomb” on Gaza, sparked a wave of anger within the occupying state, on Sunday, November 5, 2023, amid calls for his dismissal, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to suspend the Minister of Heritage until further notice.

Amichai Eliyahu said in press statements, earlier on Sunday, that “throwing a nuclear bomb on Gaza is a possible solution,” and regarding the Israeli prisoners in the Strip, the Israeli minister commented, saying: “War has costs.”

In his first comment on the statements of the Israeli Minister of Heritage, Benjamin Netanyahu said that his words were “detached from reality,” and the Israeli Broadcasting Authority said that Netanyahu decided to suspend the Minister of Heritage from participating in government meetings until further notice.

For his part, the leader of the Israeli opposition, Yair Lapid, launched a sharp attack on Eliyahu, saying that his statement was “shocking and crazy, and was issued by an irresponsible minister.” He continued: "The presence of extremists in the government exposes us to danger, and Netanyahu must dismiss the Minister of Heritage."

In turn, the leader of the Israeli Labor Party, Merav Michaeli, criticized the statements of the Israeli Minister of Heritage, according to what was reported by the Occupation Army Radio: “These are disconnected from reality, and he must be dismissed.”

For his part, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said that the statements of the Minister of Heritage in the occupation government that dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza is an option “reflect the unprecedented terrorism practiced by this government and its symbols against our Palestinian people, and constitute a danger to the entire region and the world.”

He also added that these Nazi statements by one of the ministers of the occupation government stem from the full support of some countries, especially the United States, for the Zionist aggression against the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli minister's statements were reported by the official Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, during which he answered a question about whether a nuclear bomb should be dropped on the entire Gaza. He replied: "This is one of the options." He continued, saying: "We will not provide humanitarian aid to the Nazis. There is no such thing as non-interference in Gaza."

Eliyahu also referred to more than 240 Israeli prisoners held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and said: “I pray and hope for their return, but there are also costs to war.” He said: “The Gaza Strip must not remain on the face of the earth, and we must re-establish settlements there.” As he put it.

Also, the Israeli Minister of Heritage was not the first Israeli official to call for dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza, as former Knesset member, Moshe Feiglin, called on his account on the “X” platform to strike the Gaza Strip with a nuclear weapon.

Also last October 11, Knesset member Tali Gottliff called on the Israeli army to “use nuclear weapons” in Gaza, in response to the Hamas attack.