Sanaa: Israeli Settlement Minister Orit Strock has made a controversial call for the reconstruction of Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip, asserting that the territory is intrinsically linked to Israel. "Jews should live in the Gaza Strip. The demand to rebuild Jewish settlements is a correct demand," Strock stated in comments broadcasted by Israel's public broadcaster KAN, emphasizing that Gaza is "part of Israel not only according to the Torah and Halakha, but also according to international law."

According to Anadolu Agency, international law, however, recognizes Gaza as part of the occupied Palestinian territory. It holds that Israeli settlements on occupied lands are devoid of legal validity and contravene international law and UN resolutions. Strock's statements were made a day following a march by Israeli government ministers and thousands of supporters through a closed military zone near the Gaza border, aimed at expressing support for settlement construction in the area.

The Times of Israel reported that the march was organized to commemorate the 21st anniversary of Israel's withdrawal from the Gush Katif settlement bloc in Gaza. This withdrawal, part of a unilateral disengagement plan by then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in August 2005, also included the evacuation of four illegal settlements in the northern West Bank.

Participants in the march included prominent figures such as National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party. Organizers from the group Nachala claimed that 28 ministers and lawmakers from the ruling coalition participated in the event.

On the same day, Ben-Gvir shared a video on his X account titled "Our Gaza," where he declared, "If they had said three years ago that we would control 70% of the Gaza Strip, no one would have believed it. That is why I say today there will be Jewish settlements across all of Gaza, and we will encourage migration."

These developments occur amid increasing demands from Israel's far-right leaders to reestablish illegal settlements in Gaza. The region has seen significant violence, with over 73,000 people killed and more than 173,000 injured since October 2023, due to Israel's military actions.