Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has said that “Gaza must be reoccupied”, Al Jazeera reports.

“The Israeli army will remain in the Gaza Strip for many years to ensure security,” Smotrich said, in an interview with Israel’s Makor Rishon newspaper.

“The army will maintain operational security control in the long term in Gaza to achieve the objectives of the war and to prevent Hamas from recovering.

“In my estimation, a political settlement will be reached by the end of the year,” he added.