Photo: depositphotos.
On the night of 25 October, the Israeli military stopped a group of right-wing activists wearing orange ribbons who were trying to illegally cross the border into the Gaza Strip. According to Vesty, the detention came a few hours after a high-profile statement by Minister Bezalel Smotrych, who made a wish during the Simchat Torah celebration in Sderot: “Next year, with God’s help, we will celebrate in Gush Katif.”
IDF and police cooperation: who is behind the attempt to establish a new outpost
IDF officials reported that they detained six members of the group who violated the ban and attempted to enter Gaza. After the detention, they were handed over to the police. The activists belonging to the Eli Gaza group, led by Professor Amos Azaria, consider themselves to be followers of the idea of restoring Israeli settlements in Gaza.
In support of the return to Gush Katif, Eli Gaza has organised similar actions before, mostly near Kibbutz Nativ HaAsara, but this time the activists chose Kibbutz Erez in an attempt to get closer to the Gaza Strip border.
Political background and security risks
According to Kipa, the group aimed to establish an outpost in the area where the Gush Katif settlements once existed, which were dismantled as part of the unilateral disengagement policy. However, the IDF stressed that the approach to the border areas poses a serious danger, as it interferes with security operations in the region. The military warned that such actions pose a threat to both the participants in such actions and the soldiers patrolling the border.
The detention of the activists is yet another reminder of the controversial political situation around the former Israeli settlements in Gaza and highlights the sharp contradictions that accompany right-wing groups’ attempts to re-establish Israel’s presence in the territories.
