Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich unveiled a sweeping plan on Thursday to defeat Hamas in Gaza once and for all, declaring that Israel “can and must” achieve total victory by the end of 2025.

“The State of Israel does not have the privilege of ending the campaign in Gaza without a victory. There is only one option—decisive victory,” said Smotrich, who also heads the Religious Zionism Party. His words cut against voices in Israel and abroad calling for a premature ceasefire.

Smotrich was unequivocal: “To destroy the total evil that inflicted the horrors of October 7 upon us… it is possible to win, and it can be done quickly.”

Smotrich explains that Hamas must either surrender or face destruction. There can be no other outcome. Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90

The plan: Surrender or destruction

The minister’s proposal begins with a simple ultimatum: Hamas must surrender in full, release all hostages at once, disarm completely, dismantle its terrorist infrastructure, and exile its leadership from Gaza. Civilians wishing to leave will be permitted safe passage.

If Hamas refuses, Smotrich calls for an intensified IDF ground offensive, a siege of Gaza City and Gaza’s heavily-populated central coastal region, cutting Hamas off from civilians, tightly managing humanitarian aid, and relocating civilians from war zones. In parallel, Israel would expand sovereignty step by step, including permanent control of the border buffer zone.

The plan also envisions coordination with US President Donald Trump’s proposal for voluntary relocation of Gazans abroad—linking military defeat with long-term strategic restructuring.

“This victory is owed to the fallen, to the hostages, to the residents of the south, to the Jewish people worldwide, and to the security of the Western world,” Smotrich said.

Protesters calling for an immediate ceasefire say ongoing military operations endanger the hostages, and are willing to accept Hamas’s survival in order to secure the hostages’ safe return. Photo by Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90

Political shockwaves

The announcement comes amid growing tension inside Israel’s governing coalition. The Religious Zionism Party is openly weighing whether to bring down the Netanyahu government after accusing it of backtracking on the war’s objectives.

Their frustration boiled over after the Security Cabinet approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to expand operations into Gaza City but stopped short, in their view, of adopting a clear blueprint for total victory. “If this decision is not changed, we are headed toward dissolving the government and going to elections,” a party source warned in remarks to JNS.

The military front

Meanwhile, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir confirmed Friday that Israel is intensifying operations around Gaza City, declaring the area a “dangerous combat zone” and ending daily humanitarian pauses there.

“The IDF will continue to support humanitarian efforts alongside offensive operations against terrorist organizations in Gaza in order to protect the State of Israel,” the army said in a statement.

In a somber development, IDF troops recovered the bodies of two hostages—56-year-old Ilan Weiss, who was murdered defending Kibbutz Be’eri on Oct. 7, and 28-year-old Idan Shtivi, who was killed while helping others escape the massacre at the Nova music festival. Weiss’s wife and daughter were released from captivity in the November 2023 hostage deal.

Hamas continues to hold 48 hostages, 20 of whom are believed to be alive.

Israeli troops battle Hamas on the outskirts of Gaza City. Photo: IDF Spokesman

Washington and Jerusalem in sync

In Washington, President Trump convened senior officials this week to discuss a comprehensive post-war plan for Gaza. Trump and Netanyahu remain aligned in rejecting any partial hostages-for-ceasefire arrangement, instead insisting on the return of all captives and the complete dismantling of Hamas.

Netanyahu reiterated the same in Jerusalem last Monday: “Israel will act with determination and strength in order to return all our hostages and defeat Hamas. These missions are intertwined.”

Israel at a crossroads

The finance minister’s plan is blunt: victory or surrender. The government must decide whether it is prepared to match words with decisive action. The IDF continues to advance, but the political debate is catching up to the battlefield. What is not in doubt is Israel’s resolve: the Jewish state will not live under the shadow of Hamas. Not in 2025. Not ever.

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