Israel reportedly presses ahead with its strategy to expand settlements in West Bank
Date
11/10/2024 6:40:39 AM
(MENAFN) Israel is reportedly pressing ahead with its strategy to expand settlements in the West Bank and tighten its control over Palestinian territories, with the aim of creating isolated Palestinian "cantons" under Israeli authority. This plan follows the forced displacement of a significant number of Palestinians and seeks to increase the settler population to one million, annex Jerusalem, and block the establishment of a Palestinian state.
A central figure in this effort, Israeli Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, advocates for what he describes as "voluntary migration" of Palestinians, a term he applies to both the West Bank and northern Gaza. His rhetoric aligns with plans to evacuate Palestinians from Gaza's northern areas to make way for settlements. Critics have condemned this policy as a form of "ethnic cleansing" intended to facilitate the annexation of the West Bank and the return of Israeli settlements to Gaza. The right-wing coalition, with Ben Gvir at the forefront, is spearheading efforts to expand settlements, especially in Jerusalem, and reassert Israeli military control over Gaza, focusing on strategic areas like the "Netzarim" and "Philadelphia" routes.
According to Haaretz, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is preparing for an expanded phase of its military campaign in Gaza, which includes plans for the settlement and annexation of northern Gaza and the West Bank. This strategy will gradually extend Israeli control over these territories. The participation of right-wing settlers and lawmakers in a recent conference aimed at strengthening settlements in Gaza signals the government's ongoing commitment to its Zionist vision.
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