The Israeli army on Friday escorted about 1,500 Jewish settlers out of an area near the Gaza Strip after allowing them to spend a single night along the border, while arresting several who insisted on staying inside occupied Palestinian territory.
An army spokesperson said such actions endanger the settlers’ lives in a combat zone and divert soldiers from their primary mission of safeguarding state security. He added, however, that the army was dealing with the group with restraint to prevent friction and internal clashes.
The settlers, affiliated with the Nachala movement, arrived on Thursday night in the northern part of the Gaza border area, which is under Israeli military control and known as the “Yellow Line.” They dispersed across seven locations according to what the army described as a plan resembling military-style deployment.
Members of the group attempted to breach the border and reach areas where Jewish settlements once stood before Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005 under the disengagement plan led by then prime minister Ariel Sharon. The settlers said they were carrying out an operation modeled on an attack by Hamas, claiming they were “more capable” of launching such an action.
They asserted that their stated purpose was to plant trees in Gaza as a prelude to future steps involving renewed settlement activity. At the same time, they brought tents with the apparent intention of establishing an outpost.
Israeli forces blocked their advance and prevented them from crossing the border, leading to hours of maneuvering as settlers tried to evade soldiers, who repeatedly halted them.
After prolonged standoffs, a local military commander reached an arrangement allowing the group to remain overnight at the border area, on the condition that they would leave the following day. Those who refused and attempted to stay inside Gaza were detained and handed over to police, who opened investigations on charges of obstructing security forces and diverting them from their duties.
The settlers vowed to return repeatedly until they succeeded in reviving the settlement project.
The Nachala movement was founded in 2005, as Israeli-Palestinian negotiations resumed toward a two-state solution. It promotes the slogan “One state for one people” and seeks to expand Jewish settlement across what it describes as historic Israel. The group has raised funds in Israel and the United States and has been involved in establishing dozens of settlement outposts in the West Bank, many of which have since been retroactively legalized by the current government.
