Israeli Minister says nuking Gaza 'an option', suspended by Netanyahu

Israel's far-right Minister suggests atomic bomb on Gaza, PM suspends him indefinitely. Minister calls it "metaphorical" remark, PM calls it "detached from reality". Opposition Leader demands firing of Minister, observers say comments harm Israel's efforts to maintain support for its "right to self-defence"

An Israeli Minister from the far-right Otzma Yehudit party on Sunday said that dropping an atomic bomb on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip was "an option", prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to suspend him from government meetings indefinitely.

In a radio interview, Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu said that "there are no non-combatants in Gaza" and providing humanitarian aid to the Strip would constitute "a failure".

When asked if there are no non-combatants in Gaza in his view then if a nuclear attack on the Gaza Strip is "an option", Eliyahu responded, "That's one way." His remarks infuriated members of both the ruling coalition and the Opposition, evoking calls to fire him from the government.

Following the uproar, Eliyahu backtracked from his statement, calling it a "metaphorical" remark.

“It’s clear to anyone with a brain that the remark about the atom was metaphorical. We indeed must display a forceful and disproportional response to terror, which will clarify to the Nazis and their supporters that terrorism isn’t worthwhile. This is the only formula with which democracies can deal with terror," he said.

“Simultaneously, it is clear that the State of Israel is obligated to do everything to return the captives alive and in good health,” Eliyahu wrote in a bid to defuse tensions.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Netanyahu suspended Eliyahu from government meetings indefinitely, the PMO said.