Gaza War Resumption Dominates Election Panel in Southern Israel

Representatives from most major Israeli political parties met with residents of the Gaza envelope at Kibbutz Nirim on Monday to discuss their plans for the Gaza Strip. A central theme of the discussion was the resumption of intense fighting in Gaza, a proposal supported by nearly all the representatives. Other key topics included the future governance of the Strip and the possibility of re-establishing Israeli settlements.

During the heated exchange, residents confronted coalition party representatives, demanding a state commission of inquiry. Minister Orit Strock of the Religious Zionism party reiterated her opposition to the previous "disengagement" plan and advocated for the return of Jewish settlement to all of Gaza, calling for military rule, emigration, and settlement. Her remarks were met with interruptions and accusations from residents regarding the government's role in the October 7th attacks and the ongoing security situation. Some residents applauded her call for the expulsion of Palestinians, while others criticized the lack of progress on such policies.

MK Limor Son Har Melech of Otzma Yehudit stated that her party's flagship policy would be the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza, emphasizing a zero-sum approach. Residents supporting such policies challenged her and Strock, noting that these proposals had been discussed for three years without implementation, which the politicians attributed to a lack of government insistence.

Sigal Kraunik, representing the "Am Israel" party, stated her party would not support full military rule but also would not allow foreign presence, questioning why Gaza's future should depend on external decisions. Roee Konkol of Blue and White agreed on the necessity of resuming the war but conditioned it on forming a unity government. Meanwhile, Talia Lanckri of Yisrael Beiteinu proposed transferring control of Gaza to foreign entities, dismissing calls for Palestinian expulsion as "absurd" and questioning the feasibility of governing the Strip with current forces. Her plan, which advocates for handing over the Strip to foreigners, was met with boos, though she insisted it was the only viable option, aiming to establish an alternative to Hamas rule.

Ze'ev Elkin, the minister responsible for the Gaza envelope's rehabilitation, defended Prime Minister Netanyahu's past policies as the "least bad option" that balanced objectives against Hamas, hostage release, and security. He indicated that resuming military action was inevitable, stating, "The day will come when we tell the Americans: Enough. We are taking control." Elkin also faced criticism regarding cooperation with Qatar and the continued aid to Gaza.

Amir Strogo of "Be'together" pledged to work with Egypt and the UAE to change the balance of power in Gaza's governing council, aiming to designate Qatar as a terror state. He committed to diplomatic means but stated that if unsuccessful, his party would defeat Hamas. Nir Hajbi of Yashar, the only party representative not to explicitly address resuming the fighting, assured that Gadi Eisenkot would oppose any Gaza rehabilitation until Hamas is disarmed, and committed to maintaining a wide security buffer zone.