Israeli ministers call for Gaza reoccupation, ‘voluntary migration’ of Palestinians

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) – Two Israeli ministers called Tuesday for the reoccupation of the Gaza Strip and encouraging the “voluntary migration” of Palestinians from the enclave.

“First, we must return to Gaza now! We are coming home! To the holy land!” far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said during a march in Sderot near the border with the Gaza Strip.

“And second, we must encourage migration. Encourage the voluntary migration of the residents of Gaza. It is moral!”

The march, attended by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi and far-right Knesset member Zvi Sukkot of the Religious Zionist Party, coincided with the anniversary of Israel’s creation in 1948, which Palestinians term as Nakba, or Catastrophe in Arabic.

Karhi, a member of the ruling Likud Party, also called for the reestablishment of Israeli settlements in Gaza.

“For preserving the security achievements that our soldiers lost their lives for, we must resettle Gaza with security forces and settlers that will embrace the land with love,” he said.

“This is the only true way to make the Hamas Nazis pay a price and to defend our nation and country.”

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip following Palestinian resistance group Hamas' cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people.

At least 35,180 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have since been killed, and over 79,000 others injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.

More than seven months into the conflict, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January said it is "plausible" that Tel Aviv is committing genocide in Gaza, ordering it to stop such acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio