‘There will be Jewish settlements in Gaza’

“Without settlements, there is no security.”

By World Israel News Staff

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared Tuesday night that Jewish communities will eventually be reestablished in the Gaza Strip, marking one of the clearest statements yet from a senior government figure advocating a renewed Israeli presence there.

“There will be Jewish settlements in Gaza,” Smotrich vowed during a Simchat Torah celebration in Sderot, a city near the Gaza border.

“Without settlements, there is no security,” he said. “So, we have patience, but we have determination and faith, and with God’s help, we will continue the series of victories and the big miracles.”

Smotrich has previously made similar statements, saying, “Where there is no settlement, there is terror. Rebuilding the Gaza border area from destruction must include settlements in the Gaza Strip, which will restore security to Be’eri.”

In 2005, approximately 9,000 Israelis were evacuated from 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip, most notably Gush Katif, as part of a plan to return the land to the Palestinians.

In light of Hamas’s growing influence in Gaza, which culminated in the October 7 massacres, Israelis have been debating the perceived mistakes of the disengagement and the possibility of reestablishing Jewish settlements in the territory after the war.