Netanyahu suspends Israeli minister over Gaza nuclear comment

On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took action against a junior member of his cabinet who seemed to express support for Israel launching a nuclear attack on Gaza, a region where the conflict with Hamas is causing an alarming number of civilian casualties.

The office of Netanyahu issued a statement saying that Heritage Minister Amihay Eliyahu, a member of a far-right party in the current government coalition, has been temporarily suspended from attending cabinet meetings until further notice. 

During a radio interview, Eliyahu was asked about a hypothetical nuclear option, to which he responded, "That's one way." His comment received immediate criticism from the Arab world, shocked Israeli broadcasters, and was considered "objectionable" by a U.S. official.

It is important to note that neither Eliyahu nor his party leader are part of the centralized ministerial group overseeing the Gaza war. 

They also lack access to classified information regarding Israel's nuclear capabilities, as the country does not openly acknowledge them, and do not possess the authority to initiate such actions. 

"Eliyahu's statements are not based in reality. Israel and the IDF (military) are operating in accordance with the highest standards of international law to avoid harming innocents. We will continue to do so until our victory," Netanyahu's office said.

In a statement, the League of Arab States said: "The racist statements of Israeli Minister Eliyahu are revealing. Not only does he admit that they possess a nuclear weapon, but he also confirms the reality of the Israelis’ abhorrent racist view towards the Palestinian people."

Over the weekend, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a troubleshooting visit to the Middle East in response to the growing international concern over Israel's tactics, as around 9,500 Palestinians have lost their lives in the war. 

“Obviously that was an objectionable statement and the prime minister made very clear that he (Eliyahu) wasn’t speaking on behalf of the government," a senior U.S. State Department official said.