Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to approve a plan for three new Israeli settlements in northern Gaza. The call comes amid ongoing military operations and reports of Palestinian casualties.
The proposal by Israel's Finance Minister to build new settlements in Gaza, a move that would likely violate international law and further inflame regional tensions, comes amid ongoing conflict and significant Palestinian casualties.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for the establishment of three new Israeli settlements in the northern Gaza Strip, urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to approve the plan. Smotrich, who heads Israel's Settlements Administration, stated on X that they are prepared to build the settlements and that Israel is returning to settlements evacuated in 2005, while also planning to establish additional settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The call comes amid ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza reported that six Palestinians were killed and 23 wounded in Israeli attacks over the past 24 hours. Local media later reported the death toll had risen to at least 11. The Israeli military announced it had killed two Hamas commanders in separate strikes.
Hamas stated that any agreement on the complete disarmament of Palestinian factions depends on the US and Israel honoring commitments made under last year's ceasefire. This follows US President Donald Trump's announcement that a US-led 'Board of Peace' had secured an agreement to disarm Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza. Former Israeli Ambassador Alon Pinkas expressed skepticism about the agreement's effectiveness, suggesting Netanyahu viewed it as a failure.
Israeli media also reported that the United States is expected to deploy approximately 10 additional aerial refuelling aircraft to Israel. Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces detained five Palestinians during raids in Bethlehem and Nablus, with troops also raiding homes and posting threatening signs on a mosque.