Controversial Israeli nuclear comments draw Russian ire

Russia has reacted to recent statements from Israel concerning the potential use of a nuclear bomb in the Gaza Strip. Despite these statements being later retracted, the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry has mentioned that "they indicate a serious consideration of the possibility of using such weapons".

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Israel has recently made some startling remarks. The Minister of National Heritage suggested that there was a possibility of deploying a nuclear bomb in the Gaza Strip. He later clarified that "it was a metaphor".

In an interview with Kol Barama radio, Amichai Eliyahu was asked, should we deploy a nuclear bomb in the Gaza Strip. He responded, "this is one of the possibilities". Further questioned about Israeli abductees, Eliyahu remarked, "I pray and hope for their safe return, but war inevitably comes with its own cost".

According to Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Israeli minister's statement confirms Israel's possession of nuclear weapons, thereby, highlighting an urgent need to establish a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East.

"We regard these statements as highly provocative. They are absolutely unacceptable and extraordinarily unusual for several reasons. Firstly, such utterances imply that the entire civilian population of the Gaza Strip is under threat from nuclear weapons. Is this a genocide threat?" - this was part of Zakharova's statement as cited on ria.ru.

Zakharova also mentioned that "given Israel's historical policy of ambiguity regarding nuclear weaponry, these statements not only confirm the country's possession of such weapons unequivocally, but also suggest a serious consideration of their potential use".