Tel Aviv,19 July, (dpa/GNA) – The Israeli army declared a military exclusion zone around the Gaza Strip on Sunday, to prevent a planned march by far-right and right-wing ministers, lawmakers and their supporters into the Palestinian territory.
The aim of the right-wing groups, is to establish new Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip. According to the Times of Israel daily, eight ministers were set to take part in the march, including far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
Smotrich said in March, that preparations for three Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip had been completed. He subsequently called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz, to implement the plans, but without success.
Israel is currently in campaign mode, ahead of a parliamentary election planned for late October. Smotrich’s settlement plan would be in fundamental opposition to the peace plan of US President Donald Trump, which envisages a gradual withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip.
According to various Israeli figures, the army occupies between 65% and 70% of the small Palestinian territory, which has around two million inhabitants. The military has imposed the exclusion zone until 8 am (0500 GMT) on Monday. According to Israeli broadcaster Channel 12, the ‘March of Thousands’ was scheduled to start at 5 pm on Sunday.
The radical settler organization Nachala behind the march, gave it the slogan “After 21 years, returning home.” In 2005, Israel evacuated all 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip, and relocated around 9,000 settlers, as part of a disengagement plan.
Nachala also advocates expanding Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and building new outposts. Under international law, these settlements and outposts are considered illegal.
GNA