Israeli ministers join march near Gaza calling for resettlement

Israeli cabinet members, parliamentarians and settler activists have joined a march toward the Gaza border to call for the rebuilding of Jewish settlements in the territory. The gathering took place on Sunday near the border fence and came despite a military order restricting access to the area. Video verified by the source showed dozens of Israelis assembled at the fence, while some participants were reported to have bypassed checkpoints through nearby hillsides.

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The event was organised by the settler group Nachala, which described it as the "March of Thousands" and said more than 10,000 people attended. Israeli media reports, however, estimated the crowd at only a few hundred. The army had earlier declared the surrounding area a closed military zone for 24 hours, saying the measure was intended to stop marchers from crossing into Gaza.

The march was also linked to calls for the reconstruction of Elei Sinai, Dugit and Nisanit, three settlements evacuated when Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005. Among those reported to have taken part were Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also oversees settlement affairs, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, along with more than two dozen ministers and legislators. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party was listed among the rally's sponsors, although Netanyahu has said Gaza will not be resettled.

Ben-Gvir posted a video of himself among the marchers with the caption, "Gaza is ours," while Smotrich urged Israelis not to miss what he called a historic opportunity to rebuild settlements in Gaza. The march highlights how the issue of resettling Gaza has moved from the political margins into mainstream Israeli political discourse. That shift matters because it touches on one of the most sensitive questions in the conflict: the future of territory Israel evacuated in 2005 and the status of Palestinians living there now.

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The presence of senior ministers also gives the campaign greater political weight, even as it runs against military restrictions and official statements from the prime minister. Nachala, led by Daniella Weiss, has long advocated Israeli resettlement of Gaza. Weiss has previously argued in public remarks that Palestinians would "disappear" from the territory.

The event also drew attention because Smotrich and Ben-Gvir have been sanctioned by several European countries, underlining the international scrutiny surrounding some of the figures involved. A Palestinian lawyer and analyst said the settlement drive has been enabled by a lack of accountability, reflecting the wider political and legal dispute around the issue. What remains unclear is whether any marchers attempted to cross into Gaza or whether the military zone and checkpoints fully prevented that.

It is also not clear how many people attended, given the gap between the organiser's claim and media estimates. The next developments to watch are whether Israeli officials distance themselves from the rally, whether further settlement advocacy events follow, and whether the military responds to any breaches of the restricted area.

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