Bezalel Smotrich Says Israel Will Build Three Gaza Settlements After Netanyahu Approval

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said plans to establish three Israeli settlements in the northern Gaza Strip had been completed and were awaiting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approval before implementation could begin.

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Haaretz

Smotrich made the announcement after a meeting held on Monday evening in the South with Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi, and he said the Settlement Administration, a Defense Ministry body established in 2023, was ready to establish three settlements immediately once it received the prime minister’s “green light.”

Haaretz

He also stated that the IDF currently holds nearly 70% of the Gaza Strip’s territory, and he said Israel needs to “complete the conquest of the remaining area” and “defeat Hamas.”

Smotrich framed the plan as a security measure for Sderot and the Gaza border communities, saying “Where there is no settlement, there is no security.”

Smotrich’s Gaza remarks drew backlash tied to the October 7 massacre and the return of hostages from Gaza border communities, including Kibbutz Nir Oz, which he visited as part of a wider trip to new neighborhoods being constructed.

The Jerusalem Post reported that Smotrich later canceled his visit to Kibbutz Be’eri after strong opposition by relatives of the 32 Gaza hostages from the kibbutz, who protested the minister’s comment over his role in bringing back the hostages.

L'Orient Today

In an interview for Nadav Perry’s podcast on Sunday, Smotrich claimed, “I think it is thanks to me that all the hostages are here,” and he added, “I think that, without me, the war in Gaza would have ended even before Rafah.”

Former Gaza hostage Or Levy responded in an Instagram post, saying, “we wouldn’t have returned to this day,” and Levy also wrote, “For you, we are nothing more than collateral damage of your trolling.”

While Smotrich called for immediate settlement construction in Gaza, www.taghribnews said the claims came amid ongoing aggression despite a ceasefire agreement, and it asserted that several Palestinians were killed in the latest round of attacks.

“Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich called for the establishment of Jewish settlements within Gaza, claiming that the Israeli military controls nearly 70 per cent of the strip”

Middle East Eye

The same source said over 1,000 Palestinians have lost their lives and 3,380 wounded, and it put the overall death toll since October 7, 2023, at 73,058 killed and 173,488 injured.

It also said the Government Media Office in Gaza reported 3,465 Israeli ceasefire violations since the truce began, including the detention of 113 Palestinians.

Haaretz framed Smotrich’s position as readiness to begin building three Jewish settlements in the northern Gaza Strip once it receives the government’s approval, echoing the “green light” concept described in other coverage.