‘Time to Return’: Netanyahu Allies Urge Israeli Resettlement of Gaza, Exodus of Palestinians

Israel finance minister Bezalel Smotrich and home minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Sunday night along with 15 coalition lawmakers pledged to rebuild Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip. Some of these lawmakers also called for the emigration of the Palestinian population after the Israel-Hamas war.

A report by the Times of Israel said that there was a “carnival-like atmosphere at the Jerusalem International Convention Center” with attendees dancing in jubilation in the hopes that Israeli settlers would control the blockaded coastal enclave. “God willing, we will settle and we will be victorious,” finance minister Smotrich was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

“Time to return home to Gush Katif,” Itamar Ben-Gvir, the home minister said, using the name of the Israeli settlement bloc in Gaza which was evacuated after Israeli troops left in 2005 post disengagement process.

“We need to return home, to rule the territory, and yes, also to offer a moral and logical solution to the humanitarian problem: encourage emigration and [pass a] death penalty law [for terror convicts],” he further added.

The two ministers and six coalition members of the Israeli Knesset (the Israeli parliament) also signed the “Covenant of Victory and Renewal of Settlement” pledging to set up “Jewish settlements full of life” in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli communications minister Shlomo Karhi of Netanyahu’s ruling Likud Party was also present there and called for “encouraging voluntary emigration” of Palestinians.

The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not attend the conference and has maintained since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war as well as on Saturday night that he opposes resettling Gaza and that this wasn’t an accepted government policy.

He also said that he remains opposed to the revived Jewish settlement in Gaza but said ministers are free to speak their minds.

The event drew criticism from many Israelis on social media who were angered seeing government and coalition ministers “gleefully dancing” while the Israel-Hamas war raged on and 136 hostages still remained in captivity.

The event was organised by the Nachala settlement activist group and the West Bank’s Samaria Regional Council and its head Yossi Dagan. It called on the government to take advantage of the war and capitalise on the gains made by Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).