Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich revealed today, Wednesday, that engineering teams have completed preparing the necessary plans for the construction of three new settlements in the northern areas of the Gaza Strip. Smotrich explained that the Settlement Administration of the Ministry of War, which is under his supervision, has completed all technical and preparatory arrangements, stressing that the commencement of implementation now depends on a political decision and official approval from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Smotrich made these statements during a field tour of the settlements adjacent to the Strip, where he met with the mayor of Sderot, Alon Davidi, to discuss rehabilitation efforts following the events of October 7. The Israeli minister emphasized his vision of the necessity of imposing permanent military control over about 70% of the Strip's area, considering that the settlement presence inside Gaza represents a supreme security necessity to protect Israeli towns in the envelope.
These moves come in the context of a political escalation aimed at changing the geographical and demographic reality of the Strip, as Smotrich linked the end of military operations with Israeli territorial expansion. These statements intersect with directions previously announced by Netanyahu regarding issuing orders to the army to enhance field control over large areas of Gaza, which puts the region before a new stage of conflict over the future of the Strip.
Where there is no settlement, there is no security; the army must maintain its current control, which exceeds 70% of the Gaza Strip's territory.
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Smotrich reveals engineering plans to establish 3 settlements north of the Gaza Strip