PM disciplines junior cabinet member after he appeared to voice openness to nuclear strike on Gaza
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has disciplined a junior member of his cabinet who appeared to voice openness to the idea of Israel carrying out a nuclear strike on Gaza.
Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that the minister concerned – heritage minister Amihai Eliyahu from a far-right party in the coalition government – had been suspended from cabinet meetings “until further notice”.
Asked in a radio interview about a hypothetical nuclear option, Eliyahu replied: “That’s one way.” His remark made headlines in Arab media and scandalised mainstream Israeli broadcasters.
According to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, 9,500 Palestinians have been killed in the war, stirring widening international concern at Israel’s tactics.
