The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip could improve if its citizens were to overthrow the Hamas government, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said Tuesday morning during a visit to Gaza Division headquarters.

“I would like to send a message to the people of Gaza, Liberman said. “You have become hostages of the Hamas regime.  “You can build a much better future for your children. You can get all the humanitarian, economic, and civilian aid, but first you have to kick out Hamas.”

Liberman, who came to congratulate OC Southern Command, Maj.-Gen. Herzi Halevi, who took up the post earlier this week,added that , as long as Hamas is governing the Strip, the chance for coexistence, cooperation and a better future for the people of Gaza simply does not exist.”

The defense minister said however that if Gazans were to pressure their government to return the bodies of two Israeli soldiers and two Israeli civilians who inadvertently entered Gaza and are believed to be alive and held by the organization, that would “open a window and ensure humanitarian and economic assistance for all residents of Gaza.”

Asked about the growing problem of arson attacks launched against Israeli communities with flammable kites and helium balloons, Liberman accused Hamas of using helium transferred by Israel to Gaza for medical use to power the attacks.

“Hamas is abusing Gaza’s medical system in the most contemptible and cynical fashion,” Liberman said. “The helium that we supply to hospitals for medical equipment, primarily for use in MRI scanners, is used by Hamas to send drones to ignite fields here in the south. ” Liberman said.