<article data-history-node-id="429866" about="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/israeli-finance-minister-smotrich-says-hamas-must-be-destroyed-after" class="live-blog-update default clearfix"> <h2> <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/israeli-finance-minister-smotrich-says-hamas-must-be-destroyed-after" rel="bookmark"> <span class="field field-title">Israeli finance minister Smotrich says Hamas must be destroyed after captives return</span> </a> </h2> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-field-text"><p>Israel's far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Thursday that Hamas must be destroyed following the return of captives from&nbsp;Gaza.</p> <p>Smotrich said on X that he&nbsp;fears of the consequences releasing Palestinian prisoners under the agreement, calling the detainees "the next generation of terrorist leaders."</p> <p>Smotrich said he will not vote in favour of a ceasefire deal with Hamas to end Israel's war on&nbsp;Gaza, but stopped short of threatening to bring down prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government.</p> <figure role="group" class="media-block"> <div class="group-inner"> <div alt="Israel's Finance Minister and leader of the Religious Zionist Party Bezalel Smotrich attends a meeting at the parliament, Knesset, in Jerusalem on March 20, 2023. (AFP)" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e9d1d46a-a6e5-4d68-bb52-7f926a4b175d" data-langcode="en" class="embedded-entity"> <img src="https://www.middleeasteye.net/sites/default/files/srael%27s%20Finance%20Minister%20and%20leader%20of%20the%20Religious%20Zionist%20Party%20Bezalel%20Smotrich%20attends%20a%20meeting%20at%20the%20parliament%2C%20Knesset%2C%20in%20Jerusalem%20on%20March%2020%2C%202023.%20AFP.jpg" width="1024" height="682" alt="Israel's Finance Minister and leader of the Religious Zionist Party Bezalel Smotrich attends a meeting at the parliament, Knesset, in Jerusalem on March 20, 2023. (AFP)" typeof="foaf:Image" fetchpriority="high"> </div> <figcaption>Israel's Finance Minister and leader of the Religious Zionist Party Bezalel Smotrich attends a meeting at the parliament, Knesset, in Jerusalem on 20 March, 2023. (AFP)</figcaption> </div> </figure> <p><span style="background: url(&quot;https://www.middleeasteye.net/modules/contrib/ckeditor/vendor/plugins/widget/images/handle.png&quot;) rgba(220, 220, 220, 0.5); top: -15px; left: 0px;"><img height="15" role="presentation" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==" title="Click and drag to move" width="15" loading="lazy"></span></p> </div> </div> </article>

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