Netanyahu Suspends Minister Who Suggested Nuclear Bombing of Gaza from Cabinet Meetings

The office of the Prime Minister of Israel announced on Sunday morning that Benjamin Netanyahu has suspended Amichai Eliyahu, the Minister of Heritage, from attending government meetings for an 'indefinite' period. Earlier today, Eliyahu suggested the idea of 'nuclear bombing' Gaza, which he later retracted as a 'figurative' statement. In this context, Israeli government ministers stated that Netanyahu's suspension of the Heritage Minister from cabinet meetings is 'meaningless.' The Israeli news website 'Ynet' quoted an unnamed cabinet minister as saying, 'This is a joke; anyway, cabinet meetings are rarely held, and most work is done remotely and through phone voting.' Yair Lapid, the leader of the Israeli opposition, also condemned Eliyahu's remarks about the possibility of dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza, calling it 'a horrifying and insane statement from an irresponsible minister.' Lapid stated, 'He insulted the families of [241 hostages in Gaza], offended Israeli society, and harmed our international standing.' The opposition leader further said, 'The presence of extremists in our government jeopardizes the success of war objectives, which are defeating Hamas and returning the hostages.' He had called for Eliyahu's removal from the cabinet. According to the same report, the cabinet meeting scheduled for today was also canceled without a new date being set. Blinken stated that a ceasefire would benefit Hamas; the war in Gaza continues with limited progress in U.S. efforts for a ceasefire. Protesters in Washington D.C. and London called for an immediate ceasefire. Blinken met with Qatari officials to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the protection of civilians. Israel attacked several Hamas positions following the interrogation of a member of this group.