ANKARA

Israel’s finance minister and army chief have clashed over the distribution of humanitarian aid into Gaza, as Tel Aviv maintained a stifling blockade on the war-torn enclave, according to Israeli media on Wednesday.

During a meeting of Israel’s Security Cabinet on Tuesday night, Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Tel Aviv would have to resume aid deliveries to Gaza within two weeks.

In response, army chief Eyal Zamir said the military will not be responsible for aid distribution in the Palestinian enclave, to the fury of far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

"The army doesn't choose its missions," Smotrich replied. “We have specified to you that you need to prepare for this. We will decide the goal and you will decide how to complete it.

"If you are not capable, we will bring in someone who is capable, if you don't know how to do it, we will find someone who does," the extremist minister said.

Since March 2, Israel has closed Gaza’s crossings, blocking essential supplies from entering the enclave despite multiple reports of famine in the war-devastated territory.

The Israeli army resumed its assault on Gaza on March 18, shattering a Jan. 19 ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.

Israel has killed nearly 51,300 Palestinians in the enclave since October 2023, most of them women and children.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.