Warnings from the White House — and the United Nations' top court — appear to have done little to stop some of Israel's right-wing ministers from touting an alarming vision that the country's own prime minister has dismissed: rebuilding Israeli settlements in Gaza after the war.
Several ministers within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government were among thousands of people who flocked to a conference in Jerusalem on Sunday night calling for Israelis' "resettlement" of Gaza, with far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich delivering keynote speeches.
The conference, dubbed “Settlement Brings Security,” was led in part by the right-wing Nachala organization, a group advocating for the expansion of Jewish settlements, which are considered illegal by international and humanitarian bodies. The event called for Israel to rebuild settlements in both Gaza and northern parts of the occupied West Bank.
Israel dismantled its settlements in Gaza as it unilaterally withdrew from the territory in 2005 after 38 years of occupation. The enclave was left in the control of the Palestinian Authority, with Hamas assuming control in 2007 after it won elections held in 2006 and a subsequent brutal power struggle with its main rival, Fatah.
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While Netanyahu has said Israel has "no intention of permanently occupying Gaza or displacing its civilian population," questions have remained over what the future of the enclave will look like once Israel's war against Hamas ends.
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