'Losing its humanity': Arab world slams Israel over minister remarks on nuking Gaza

The Arab world has issued strong statements condemning remarks by an Israeli minister on using a "nuclear bomb" on Gaza.

Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu said “one of Israel’s options in the war in Gaza is to drop a nuclear bomb on the Strip,” The Times of Israel reported on Sunday.

In a radio interview, Eliyahu also “voiced his objection to allowing any humanitarian aid into Gaza.”

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned the remarks, saying it “reflects extremism and hate speech, incitement to violence, organised terrorism and the crime of genocide committed daily by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people..."

The remarks are evidence of the “extent of deviation and extremism,” Egypt’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said on X.

“The international community must decisively confront the rhetoric of violence, hatred and racism,” he said.

For its part, the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry said on X that “the Israeli occupation and its aggression against the Palestinian people has reached a dangerous stage and its arrogance has reached a degree of brutality unprecedented in human history.”

The ministry reiterated Kuwait’s “appeal to the international community and the (UN) Security Council to stop the crimes of genocide against the brotherly people of Palestine."

'Losing its humanity'

In addition, the United Arab Emirates’ Foreign Ministry said the remarks “constitute a violation of international law and incitement to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law and war crimes"

It also "raises grave concern about the existence of an intention to commit the crime of genocide.”

And Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi accused Israel of "losing its humanity” in its war against Gaza, saying that what Eliyahu is calling for is to "wipe Gaza from the face of this Earth and kill 2.4 million people."

Following his remarks, Eliyahu was suspended from government meetings indefinitely, said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, adding his statements “are not based on reality.”

The number of Palestinians killed in Israeli bombardments in Gaza has risen to 9,770, the Health Ministry in the blockaded enclave announced on Sunday.