Israeli ministers join march to Gaza to demand return of settlements

Hundreds gather near the border as coalition figures push to rebuild communities evacuated in 2005.Israeli cabinet members and parliamentarians have joined a march towards Gaza to call for the rebuilding of Jewish settlements in the besieged Palestinian territory.The march on Sunday defied a military order that restricted their route at the last minute over concerns that some participants planned to cross the fence into the besieged Palestinian territory.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Why has the ‘ceasefire’ in Gaza failed to stop Israel’s attacks?list 2 of 3From settlements to blocked recovery: Israeli strategy taking shape in Gazalist 3 of 3The story behind Gaza’s #TheyLiedToYou campaignend of listThe rally is the latest sign of how calls to resettle Gaza have moved from the political margins into Israel’s mainstream political discourse.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party was listed among the rally’s sponsors, despite his insistence that Gaza will not be resettled.Earlier, the Israeli army designated the surrounding area a closed military zone for 24 hours, saying it was meant to stop marchers from crossing into Gaza.Nachala, the settler group behind the event, called it the “March of Thousands” and said more than 10,000 attended, although Israeli media reports estimated the crowd at only a few hundred.Nachala is led by Daniella Weiss, who has long advocated Israel resettling Gaza. Speaking at a Likud party conference, she said Palestinians would “disappear” from the territory.Some marchers bypassed checkpoints through nearby hillsides to reach the Gaza border. Video verified by Al Jazeera’s verification unit showed dozens of Israelis gathered at the border fence.Also on the march were Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also oversees settlement affairs, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and more than two dozen ministers and legislators, Israeli media reported.