Israeli ministers join march to Gaza demanding return of settlements
Israeli cabinet members and lawmakers joined a march near Gaza calling for the rebuilding of Jewish settlements evacuated in 2005, defying a military order.
Hundreds gathered near the Gaza border on Sunday for a march organized by the settler group Nachala, demanding the reestablishment of Jewish settlements in the Palestinian territory. The event drew Israeli ministers, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, along with more than two dozen other officials and parliamentarians.
The march proceeded despite a last-minute military order restricting the route over fears that some participants would cross the fence into Gaza. The Israeli army declared the area a closed military zone for 24 hours to prevent crossings.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party was listed among the rally's sponsors, even though Netanyahu has stated that Gaza will not be resettled. Organizers from Nachala claimed over 10,000 attendees, while Israeli media estimated only a few hundred. Nachala's leader, Daniella Weiss, who has long advocated for resettling Gaza, previously said Palestinians would "disappear" from the territory.
Some marchers bypassed checkpoints via nearby hills to reach the border fence. Ben-Gvir posted a video with the caption "Gaza is ours," while Smotrich called it a "historic opportunity" to rebuild settlements. They specifically demanded the reconstruction of Elei Sinai, Dugit, and Nisanit, three settlements evacuated during Israel's 2005 withdrawal.
Palestinian lawyer and analyst Diana Buttu told Al Jazeera that Israel's settlement drive is enabled by a lack of accountability, stating that a country committing genocide and ethnic cleansing feels emboldened to steal more land.
In December, a group of Nachala activists briefly crossed into Gaza and planted an Israeli flag before being brought back by soldiers.
