A group of Israeli settlers breached the border into the Gaza Strip, raising the Israeli flag and calling for the reoccupation of the devastated Palestinian territory. The incident occurred as tensions remain high following recent escalations.
Reports indicate that settlers, traveling in private vehicles, managed to penetrate several hundred meters into the area of the former settlement of Kfar Darom. They reportedly planted an Israeli flag and declared that the “people of Israel have returned and raised the flag in the heart of Gaza.”
The Israeli military confirmed the incursion, stating that forces were dispatched to the area to remove the settlers. The army also claimed to have prevented “dozens” of others from crossing at a separate border point.
At a gathering in the border town of Sderot, Daniela Weiss, a prominent figure in the settlement movement, addressed a crowd of supporters. “With God’s help, raising this flag will mark the beginning of a new era, an era in which we will return to Gaza,” she declared.
Weiss further stated, “Gaza will not be ruled by Indonesians, Turks, Egyptians, or any other country. Only the people of Israel will rule Gaza,” referencing the potential participation of other nations in a future international stabilization force. This force is anticipated to be deployed in the Strip as part of a ceasefire agreement.
Last week, the Nahala movement, a nationalist organization co-founded by Weiss, announced its intention to organize the flag-raising event. The initiative reportedly had the backing of far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, as well as ten other ministers and over twenty members of the Knesset.
Kfar Darom, located in the central Gaza Strip, was evacuated along with twenty other settlements during Israel’s unilateral disengagement in 2005. Since then, a faction within the Israeli right wing has been advocating for the re-establishment of Israeli settlements in Gaza. These calls have intensified since the start of the recent conflict.
