“This land belongs to us”: Thousands of Israelis march toward Gaza Strip demanding Jewish settlement re-establishment

Thousands of Israelis, including settlers and right-wing activists, marched towards the security barrier with the Gaza Strip over the weekend. They called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to re-establish Jewish settlements in the Palestinian enclave, which has been devastated by war.

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We march today to tell the Israeli government and to show the whole world that this land belongs to us, that the Gaza Strip truly belongs to us, and that we want to return to it.

Gathering near the security fence, participants waved Israeli flags as security forces blocked their access to the prohibited area. Demonstrators voiced their claim over the land, stating, "This land belongs to us, that the Gaza Strip truly belongs to us, and that we want to return to it." Many participants recalled living in Gaza before the Israeli disengagement in 2005.

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We lived here before we were expelled in 2005.

Organizers framed the mobilization as a demonstration of support for reinstating Jewish settlements in Gaza, over two decades after all Israeli settlements were dismantled. They aim to exert pressure on the government to authorize their return. "I hope this lasts and we return to live here as soon as possible," said one participant.

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I hope this lasts and we return to live here as soon as possible.

Another demonstrator described the march as the start of a campaign for Israeli communities to return to Gaza, asserting that "Jews have lived for hundreds and thousands of years" in the area. He claimed the 2005 withdrawal was temporary and that "nothing" prevents Jews from returning and settling there. The Israeli army currently controls over 60% of Gaza's territory, where armed violence occurs daily despite a truce with Hamas.

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We are organizing a great return march to the Gaza Strip, where Jews have lived for hundreds and thousands of years.