A Kremlin spokeswoman has weighed in on comments by an Israeli minister who appeared to suggest he was open to using nuclear weapons in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suspended Heritage Minister Amihay Eliyahu on Sunday from cabinet meetings “until further notice”.
When Eliyahu was asked about a potential nuclear strike in Gaza he responded: “That’s one way.”
The comments drew outrage from a number of countries and, now, Russia has weighed in on the situation.
Maria Zakharova, Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman said: “This has raised a huge number of questions.”
READ MORE: Benjamin Netanyahu breaks silence on nuking Gaza as IDF says 2,500 targets hit
She claimed that the comment showed that Israel admitted to possessing nuclear weapons – Tel Aviv has not publicly acknowledged its nuclear arsenal but the Federation of American Scientists estimates the country has around 90 warheads.
The RIA News Agency quoted Zakharova as saying: “Question number one – it turns out that we are hearing official statements about the presence of nuclear weapons?
“If so, then where are the International Atomic Energy Agency and international nuclear inspectors?”
Zakharova then claimed that the US must have helped Israel test its nuclear weapons as no tests have been carried out in the Middle East.
She said: “If this program exists and existed, where were the tests conducted, at what testing grounds? Obviously, apparently not in the region, then where? And isn’t the United States behind all this?”
Don’t miss… Nuclear disaster warning after ‘drones shot down near Ukraine power plant'[REPORT]
Israel Defense Forces target Hamas outpost in Gaza
- Support fearless journalism
- Read The Daily Express online, advert free
- Get super-fast page loading
Eliyahu’s comments caused outrage around the region drawing condemnation from countries including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Syria.
The news comes as Israel expanded its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip by launching a ground offensive which has cut the enclave in two.
Israel declared war on Hamas after the terrorist group launched an unprecedented attack on Israel killing at least 1,400 civilians, the vast majority of them civilians.
The Hamas-run health authority in Gaza claims that 10,000 people have been killed in the strip since the war began.
Source: Read Full Article