Netanyahu-Smotrich ’s secret deal: Aid to Gaza, settlements in West Bank

The Maariv news network revealed a secret agreement between Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s Finance Minister, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under which Smotrich agreed to allow humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. In return, Netanyahu promised the construction of hundreds of new housing units in the occupied West Bank, as reported by the news outlet.

Israel’s approval for nine trucks carrying food and medical aid to enter Gaza came amid unprecedented famine in the region, coupled with intense international pressure on Tel Aviv, which even drew criticism from European countries. The situation escalated to the point that Yair Golan, leader of Israel’s Democrats party, publicly stated, “Killing children is not a source of pride.”

Following heightened pressure on Israel, Smotrich announced at a press conference on Monday that he considers the entry of essential aid into Gaza a necessary step for winning the war and “destroying Hamas.”

This stance marked a shift from his previous opposition to any aid entering Gaza, where he had even threatened to resign from the cabinet if any assistance was provided to Hamas.

According to Maariv, the agreement between Netanyahu and Smotrich includes expanding settlement activities in the eastern border areas of the West Bank through the establishment of farms and settlement outposts. Israel’s Ministry of Settlement, led by Orit Struck, will oversee the implementation of this project, with significant funding allocated for it.

A senior political source told Maariv that the agreement was finalized in recent days and approved during a meeting of Israel’s Political-Security Cabinet on Monday. The source noted that the decision to expand settlements was made concurrently with the approval of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Ghassan Alian, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Occupied Territories, outlined the resumption of aid deliveries during the meeting but warned that, despite monitoring efforts, there is no guarantee that the aid will not reach Hamas.

Reports indicate that since Benjamin Netanyahu’s current term as Prime Minister began in December 2022, the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly the West Bank, has accelerated at an unprecedented pace. This escalation is driven by the significant presence of far-right parties and religious Zionist movements in Netanyahu’s coalition government, which have leveraged state mechanisms to pave the way for the de facto annexation of the West Bank.