A right-wing Israeli minister says victory for Israel won’t come until Gaza is “entirely destroyed” and Palestinians are forced out into other countries.

Israeli Finance Minister Bazalel Smotrich made the statement during a Tuesday appearance at a conference on Jewish settlements in the West Bank. While Smotrich is a senior Israeli official, his statement does not represent the official policy of the Israeli government.

“Within a year we will be able to declare victory in Gaza,” he told attendees. “Gaza will be entirely destroyed, civilians will be sent to… the south to a humanitarian zone without Hamas or terrorism, and from there they will start to leave in great numbers to third countries,” Smotrich said, according to the Agence France-Presse.

“Israel does not intend to withdraw from territories the IDF captures, not even as part of a deal to release hostages,” he added.

Dubbed Operation Gideon’s Chariots, the plan would also seek to prevent the militant Hamas group from distributing humanitarian aid, which Israel says strengthens the group’s rule in Gaza. It also accuses Hamas of keeping the aid for itself to bolster its capabilities. The plan also included powerful strikes against Hamas targets, the officials said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he approved an “intensive” plan for IDF operations in Gaza. (Israeli Government Press Office via AP)

“We want our troops to fight against a tired, hungry, and exhausted enemy, not one that has supplies and aid coming from outside the strip,” Smotrich said in a statement on Monday.

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.