Can Israel really build settlements in Gaza? | | Israel-Palestine War News

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have given a clear signal that they are considering establishing new Jewish settlements in what is left of the Gaza Strip after nearly three years of their country’s ethnic cleansing war against the Palestinians.

Last Monday, Smotrich, who continued to participate in the governing coalition acceptable after being given more control over Israeli settlement companies, he told reporters that his ministry had drawn up plans for three villages in northern Gaza, and that all that was needed to move forward was a green light from Netanyahu.

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The next day, Netanyahu almost gave in. Speaking on Israel’s right-wing Channel 14, he refused to rule out the prospect of staying in Gaza.

“The question is whether you prefer to act or to talk,” the prime minister replied awkwardly when asked if the establishment of a settlement was possible. “Yes, I don’t want to answer.”

Israel’s most recent settlements – in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem – are illegal under international law.

In planning a sustainable future in Gaza – and what Netanyahu told Channel 14 viewers was the “free migration” of its remaining people, a process widely recognized by international judges as ethnic cleansing – Israel has killed more than 73,000 residents.

At the same time, Israel is accused by experts supported by the United Nations to deliberately set up a hunger on Gaza survivors and, more recently, a to advance killing his own people in Gaza through the deliberate substitution of children.

How to prepare for the establishment of any settlements in Gaza – the ones that already existed 21 unauthorized places before the Israeli government decided to expel them in 2005 – it’s hard to know. Place north of Gaza City it has been largely destroyed by Israel, with its deliberate campaign to demolish Palestinian homes and institutions, destroying almost everything that was not hit by aerial bombs.

Supporters of the settlements in Gaza see the empty space now as a good opportunity to establish a relationship between Israel and Gaza.

With elections in Israel, it is beneficial for politicians like Smotrich and Netanyahu to say that this is the plan.

“The people of Israel have been subjected to endless violence since October 7,” said Neve Gordon, a professor of Israel at Queen Mary University in London. “People who watch Israeli media don’t understand the destruction in Gaza, or the suffering that has happened there.

“There is even a place, a tourist place, where some people in Israel go to see the bombing. This is a district where words like Smotrich’s were made to attract people. These are people who want to see more villages in Gaza, but this does not mean that we should not take it seriously,” he said. “(But) this is not just rhetoric. There is definite and consistent pressure from many Israeli politicians to resettle the Gaza Strip.”

The history of ethnic cleansing

A growing number of hardline religious Israelis have been calling for the re-establishment of the Gaza Strip since its 2005 withdrawal. Since then, scholars and historians have described the efforts of those who support the communities to capture the institutions of Israeli public life, finding a clear voice in education, the media and other areas of the government.

Organizations such as the far-right group Nachala have publicly advocated for the city’s resettlement. During the months of Israel’s murderous war, Nachala did a meeting promoting Israel’s return to Gaza, “Settlement Brings Security and Victory”. He was attended by many government ministers, including Mr Smotrich and Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Even as critics point to his success in implementing mass housing since the 1990s, Smotrich continues to vote. His religious Zionist party may not get enough votes in the next election – due in late October – to meet the threshold to enter parliament. This perhaps explains why Smotrich is keen to expand his presence in Gaza and attract more support from Israel’s right wing.

Political advantage

These phenomena are of interest to observers like Orly Noy, editor of the Hebrew-language magazine Local Call.

Smotrich “has been a very effective member of the cabinet in promoting the interests of those living in the West Bank”, he said. “He’s really changed in that sense,” referring to the judicial, economic, and structural reforms that began under Smotrich’s watch, which he seems to be getting less credit for than his position.

Netanyahu’s actions are extremely difficult, experts say. Right now a case in several cases of corruption, the Prime Minister will be sentenced to prison if found guilty.

Equally, anger at his apparent determination not to save independent questions about his government’s failure in the October 7 attacks rose, perhaps giving him an excuse to go ahead and build settlements and expel Palestinians from Gaza.

“Look, if you want to differentiate yourself before the election, now is your time,” said political analyst Ori Goldberg. “This is your time, and, if you want to make trouble for the Palestinian people, no Jewish member of (parliament) – except (leftist member) Ofer Cassif – will oppose you.

“People don’t care anymore,” he said of the chances of living in Gaza receiving any resistance from Israel. “There is nothing (about the violence in Gaza). People have become apathetic.

Integration

Although the Israeli government may not have domestic problems when it comes to building settlements in Gaza, it has to deal with international chaos – and that is why the project is not moving beyond the planning stage.

But will Israel face the permanent consequences of building settlements in Gaza?

In the eyes of many, the Israeli government’s right to act derives from the unwavering diplomatic and military support of the US, and the financial support of Europe which, despite occasional criticism, still belongs to Israel. high quality products beloved.

“Given the way countries are doing,” author and fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, Hugh Lovatt said of the prospect of a settlement in Gaza, “from 2023 onwards we have seen the largest expansion of the settlement since the (1990s) Oslo Accords, and the plans to make the two countries inactive”.

“And, while there has been criticism, there has been very little,” Lovatt said. “I don’t know if this would have been different if it had been in Gaza. It is true that Gaza has been the focus of the world – especially the US – since the West Bank has not stopped fighting.”

However, it is not clear whether the caution would amount to an attempt by Israel to expand its settlements.

“Would Israel risk going to Gaza to stop Trump’s plan in Gaza?” much criticism for allowing Israel to continue to exist in Palestinian territory, it does not refer to Israeli settlements.

“And while Europe has a very bad record so far, the growth of Israeli settlements in Gaza could push European countries to take action,” he said.