Thousands March Toward Gaza to Demand New Israeli Settlements Following Government Plans

On Sunday evening, approximately 10,000 people participated in a march toward the Gaza Strip, calling for the establishment of new Israeli settlements in the area. The event follows recent government declarations about creating Nahal pioneer groups in Gaza. Prior to the march, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reached an agreement with the organizers, allowing the procession to gather near Hof Zikim and conclude with a viewpoint overlooking the Eli Sinai settlement and northern Gaza border.

Earlier that day, the IDF issued a military closed zone order restricting access to areas around the Gaza envelope, including regions west of Road 34 from the Yad Mordechai junction to Sha'ar HaNegev junction, and west of Sha'ar HaNegev along Road 232 to Kerem Shalom. The march included 23 ministers and Knesset members, the mayor of Sderot Alon Davidi, bereaved families, war veterans, members of settlement pioneer groups, and Gaza envelope residents.

Organizers emphasized the march's purpose to translate political statements about renewing Gaza settlements into practical action. The event was held under the slogan "Nissanit, Dugit, Eli Sinai - Now!" reflecting Prime Minister Netanyahu's call to "act, not just talk," and statements by Defense Minister Yoav Kitz and Finance and Defense Minister Bezalel Smotrich regarding the establishment of Nahal groups and planning preparations.

Danielle Weiss, chair of the Nahala movement, highlighted the synergy between political declarations and on-the-ground preparations, stating that the pioneering groups and Nahal fighters from Sderot and across Israel represent an immediate practical response. Reservist organizations also view the resettlement as a crucial lesson from the recent war. Gilad Ach, head of "Reservists - Generation of Victory," condemned the 2005 disengagement plan as the root cause of the current conflict and called for reversing it by restoring Jewish settlements in Gaza.

The Heroism Forum, representing fallen soldiers, sees the march as continuing their legacy. Chairman Itzik Pitusi, father of fallen soldier Staff Sergeant Yishai Pitusi and a member of the Yesha settlement group, said the march honors those who sacrificed their lives for Israel and asserted that victory means resettlement and reclaiming all Gaza lands to ensure security for southern Israel and the entire country.