Netanyahu tells gov't to be sensitive after minister calls war '2023 Nakba'

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the ministers in his government to tread carefully when making public statements during a government meeting on Sunday after a second minister in the space of a week made a controversial statement.

"If you don't know or understand, don't comment," he told them. "We need to be sensitive."

Netanyahu's warning came the day after Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter said that Israel's war with Hamas was the "2023 Gaza Nakba" during an interview with N12 on Saturday night.

"From an operational standpoint, you cannot wage a war like the IDF wants to in Gaza while the masses are between the tanks and the soldiers," he said. "It's the 2023 Gaza Nakba."

The Nakba, which translates to "the catastrophe", is what the Palestinians call Israel's War of Independence and the establishment of the State of Israel.

Controversial comments on Gaza

Likud MK Nissim Vaturi also made a controversial statement on the fate of Gazans on Sunday, saying in a radio interview that the Palestinians "need to be loaded on ships and moved to wherever will be better for them."

Last week, Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu faced heavy criticism when he said in a radio interview that nuking Gaza was an option. When he was reminded of the more than 240 hostages being held in Gaza, he said he wanted them to return home safely but that "there is a price to war."

At the time, Netanyahu condemned Eliyahu's comments and said he would be suspended from government meetings. He had considered firing the minister but didn't at the insistence of Eliyahu's party leader National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Eliyahu was banned from the cabinet meeting. Netanyahu later claimed that he told Eliyahu that if he ever made a similar statement, he would be fired.

These comments made by the two ministers have been called extremely irresponsible as Israel faces heavy criticism and protests from people abroad who accuse it of committing genocide in Gaza.