Israeli minister calls for return of settlers to Gaza

Israeli Minister of National Security, the far-right extremist Itamar Ben Gvir, called on Monday for the return of Jewish settlers to the Gaza Strip after the end of the war and for "encouraging" Palestinian residents to migrate. This comes after a similar call from the Israeli Finance Minister.

Ben Gvir stated during a meeting of his party, as published on his social media accounts, "Promoting a solution that encourages the migration of Gaza residents is necessary. It is a correct, fair, ethical, and humane solution."

He added, "I appeal to the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister; it is the opportune time to develop a project aimed at encouraging the migration of Gaza residents to other countries worldwide."

He emphasized that the departure of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip would also pave the way for the reestablishment of Jewish settlements in Palestinian territories.

Israel withdrew its army and around eight thousand settlers from the Gaza Strip in 2005, which had been occupied since 1967, as part of a unilateral withdrawal plan presented by then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Ben Gvir continued, "Encouraging the migration of Gaza residents will allow us to resettle the residents of the border areas and the former Gush Katif settlement bloc in the Gaza Strip."

Ben Gvir, who leads the far-right "Jewish Power" party, has been charged over 50 times with incitement to violence or hate speech. In 2007, he was convicted of supporting a terrorist group and inciting racism.

The United Nations considers Ben Gvir to be an illegal symbol of Israeli settlements under international law.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich had called on Sunday for the return of Jewish settlers to the Gaza Strip after the end of the war, considering that the residents of the Gaza Strip should be "encouraged" to migrate to other countries.

AFP