Saudi Arabia has condemned statements by an Israeli minister who suggested dropping an atomic bomb on Gaza is “one of the possibilities” for Israel.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said in a statement that his comments showed the infiltration of “extremism and brutality” among members of the Israeli government.

Israeli Heritage Minister Amithai Eliyahu said in a radio interview that he is not entirely satisfied with the extent of Israeli retaliation in Palestinian territory following the deadly attack by Hamas in southern Israel on October 7.

To the journalist who asked him if the solution for him would be to be dumped “some kind of nuclear bomb all over the Gaza Strip, to flatten it and kill all the people,” the minister replied: “it’s an alternative.”

The statement provoked an immediate reaction from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who suspended the minister’s participation in government meetings “until further notice”.