Israeli Minister Marks 21 Years Since Gaza Disengagement, Calls Gaza Part of Israel

On the 21st anniversary of the Gaza Strip disengagement, Israeli Minister Orit Strook revisited the closure of the Kissufim checkpoint and participated in a prayer at the Gaza border. She emphasized that Israel has neither forgotten nor will forget that Gaza is part of its land. The disengagement, which occurred on September 1, 2005, led to Israel withdrawing from Gaza and closing the Kissufim checkpoint, after which violent attacks by Palestinians targeted synagogues and communities in the area.

Strook highlighted the annual day of fasting and prayer commemorating the expulsion and the national trauma it caused. This year, organizers requested to hold the prayer inside Gaza, but the Israeli government denied the request. Strook conveyed a letter signed by 20 rabbis to Prime Minister Netanyahu, urging permission to pray inside Gaza to express mourning over the loss of the land, which they consider an integral part of the Land of Israel.

She recounted meeting with displaced residents who long to return to their homes in Gaza, stressing that Gaza belongs to Israel according to Jewish law and international mandates, including the San Remo Conference and UN Charter provisions. Strook criticized past peace campaigns for ignoring the violent consequences of the disengagement and warned against repeating those mistakes.

She also referenced the recent reestablishment of the Kadim settlement in northern Samaria as part of a national return to ancestral lands, including Gaza. Strook asserted that a renewed Gaza will be rebuilt not for terrorists but for the Jewish people. She concluded with a call for national repentance and determination to reclaim lost territories, promising future prayers and celebrations in Gaza once again under Israeli control.