Thousands of Israelis, including settlers and right-wing activists, marched toward the Gaza border on Sunday demanding the government re-establish Israeli settlements in Gaza [1, 2]. The march drew participation from Israeli cabinet members and parliamentarians, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir [3].
Marchers gathered near the border fence overlooking northern Gaza but were blocked by Israeli security forces from advancing into Gaza territory [1, 2]. The Israeli army designated the area around Gaza as a closed military zone for 24 hours to prevent any crossing attempts [3].
The event was partly organized by the settler group Nachala, which claimed over 10,000 attendees, though Israeli media estimated only a few hundred participants [3]. The sizable discrepancy highlights differing perspectives on the march's scope. Participants demanded the return and rebuilding of settlements evacuated under Israel's 2005 unilateral disengagement plan, including Elei Sinai, Dugit, and Nisanit [3].
Daniel Sellem, a marcher, said, "We are walking today to tell the government of Israel and show all the world that this land belongs to us and that Gaza really belongs to us and that we want to go back there. We lived there before they got us out in 2005" [1]. Another participant, Grinbloom, added the withdrawal was "only temporary" and that "we are coming back" to the territory [2].
Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir voiced strong support. Smotrich urged not to "miss a historic opportunity to rebuild settlements in Gaza," while Ben-Gvir proclaimed "Gaza is ours" [3]. Daniela Weiss suggested Palestinians would "disappear" from the territory as a result [3].
The march reflects a shift of settlement issues into mainstream Israeli political discourse, with backing from Netanyahu’s Likud party despite his stated opposition [3]. Meanwhile, Gaza remains mostly uninhabitable after years of conflict, with Israel controlling over 60% of the territory amid ongoing low-level violence despite a ceasefire [2].
The march on July 19 marks the first large-scale push to return settlers since the 2005 evacuation, which removed all Israeli settlements from Gaza [1, 3, 2].
