MK Ohad Tal (Religious Zionism) has said that true victory, in which Hamas feels defeat, will require Jewish settlement in Gaza.
"The terror in Gaza is of enormous scope, which we did not think it would be, and therefore it will take time to dismantle it," he told Kol Hai Radio.
He also noted that the number of dead in Gaza does not matter to Israel's enemy: "[Yahya] Sinwar and Hamas do not need a lot in order to win. If we stop at a stage which still leaves terrorists in Gaza, and the money flows, then that is a victory, from their perspective. Only at the price of land and Jewish settlements will they see defeat."
"There is US pressure to put money into Gaza," he added. "We need to tell them that this is unthinkable. Even the Americans have a law that bars them from transferring such funds themselves."
Tal also slammed Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (Likud) for saying that a resident of the southern city of Sderot, which was infiltrated by Hamas terrorists on October 7, will not decide how the war goes.
"This statement by the Defense Minister is outrageous. My parents live in Sderot. A soldier who leaves Gaza now understands the reality no less well than any general or minister.
"Their position is important. We work for them. Wake up. We cannot forget what happened," he concluded.