Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced Monday evening in Sderot that the Settlement Administration is prepared to establish three settlements in the northern Gaza Strip immediately, pending Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's green light. The statement follows the earlier bulletin that ministers are ready for the move, now specifying the operational readiness of the Settlement Administration itself. No timeline for authorization was given.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Monday evening in Sderot that the Settlement Administration is operationally ready to establish three settlements in the northern Gaza buffer zone immediately, as soon as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives the green light. The statement, first reported by Amichai Stein (i24NEWS), expands on a prior bulletin from the same evening in which Smotrich said ministers are prepared for the move — now specifying that the government body responsible for settlement implementation is standing by.
As The Zioneer reported at 20:13 Jerusalem, Smotrich earlier stated that the ministers are ready; this message adds the Settlement Administration's operational readiness. The proposal marks a potential shift from temporary military outposts to permanent civilian settlement in the buffer zone Israel has held since the ground operation. No timeline for Netanyahu's decision or the actual establishment was provided, and no cabinet vote has been announced.
The announcement comes amid ongoing political debate over settlement policy in Gaza, with the government holding a security-first stance. The opposition has yet to respond to this specific statement.
2 developments
- DevelopingCommentary questions Smotrich's approach to advancing northern Gaza settlements
- StrongSmotrich calls on Netanyahu to fully conquer Gaza, establish Jewish settlement
- DevelopingSmotrich warns Bennett government would evacuate new Judea and Samaria outposts, establish Palestinian state
- StrongDefense Minister to Channel 14: If Hamas does not disarm, Israel will establish three Nahal nuclei in northern Gaza
Source and signal
- Open-source intake