DaysofPal — Israeli Settlements and National Missions Minister Orit Strock has called for the reestablishment of Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip, declaring that the besieged enclave is “part of the Land of Israel” and insisting that Jews should once again live there.
According to Israel’s public broadcaster, Strock described the return of Israeli settlements to Gaza as a “just demand,” arguing that the territory belongs to “Israel” not only on religious grounds but also under international law.
Her remarks come amid growing calls from senior Israeli officials and settler leaders to reoccupy the Gaza Strip and rebuild settlements dismantled during Israel’s 2005 disengagement.
On Sunday, several Israeli ministers joined thousands of settlers in a mass march near the Gaza border advocating the return of Israeli settlements to the enclave.
Israeli media reported that the demonstration marked the 21st anniversary of Israel’s 2005 withdrawal from Gaza, which included the dismantling of the Gush Katif settlement bloc.
The rally drew prominent figures from Israel’s far-right government, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party.
Organizers from the pro-settlement Nachala Movement said 28 ministers and Knesset members from the governing coalition participated in the march, reflecting broad political backing within the government for expanding the settlement agenda.
The 2005 disengagement plan, implemented under then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, involved evacuating all Israeli settlements from the Gaza Strip and dismantling four settlements in the northern occupied West Bank.
Ahead of the march, the Israeli military declared the area surrounding Gaza a closed military zone from Sunday morning until Monday morning.
In a separate statement, Ben-Gvir posted a video on the social media platform X declaring, “Gaza is ours.”
He claimed that had someone said three years ago that “Israel” would control 70 percent of the Gaza Strip, “no one would have believed it,” adding that Israeli settlements would eventually be established throughout the territory.
The renewed calls by senior Israeli officials to rebuild settlements in Gaza have intensified concerns over Israel’s long-term intentions in the enclave, with critics warning that such statements reinforce fears of permanent occupation and the forcible displacement of Palestinians, in violation of international law.
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