Israeli Ministers Push Gaza Settlement Tour Plan

More than twenty Israeli cabinet ministers and coalition lawmakers from parties including Likud, Otzma Yehudit, and Religious Zionism have signed a letter urging Defense Minister Israel Katz to authorize a tour of northern Gaza by the Nachala Settlement Movement. The initiative aims to assess possibilities for reestablishing Israeli settlements in areas under full IDF control and largely empty of Gaza residents. Proponents describe Gaza as having deep historical and national significance for Israel, framing resettlement as a symbolic return to Zion. The letter argues that blocking the tour would be a political maneuver against the nationalist camp. Activists and lawmakers have also participated in a protest march near the Gaza border, increasing right-wing pressure for policy change towards potential reoccupation. Nachala's leader, Daniella Weiss, remains a controversial figure due to international sanctions.