Israelis march to Gaza border demanding re-establishment of settlements
Thousands of Israeli protesters marched toward the Gaza border to demand the re-establishment of Jewish settlements in the territory. Participants view the 2005 withdrawal as temporary and are pressuring the government to authorize a return.
Why it matters
The movement to resettle Gaza represents a highly contentious political issue that could significantly impact the future of the Israel-Palestine conflict and regional stability.
Thousands of Israelis, including settlers and right-wing activists, marched towards the border with Gaza on Sunday (July 19, 2026), calling on the government to re-establish Israeli settlements in the war-shattered Palestinian territory, an AFP journalist reported.
The demonstrators gathered near the border before walking in large numbers towards the fence overlooking northern Gaza, where Israeli security forces deployed to prevent participants from advancing further.
AFP footage showed marchers waving Israeli flags as soldiers and police blocked their access to the restricted area.
"We are walking today to tell the government of Israel and show all the world that this land belongs to us and that Gaza really belongs to us and that we want to go back there," said participant Daniel Sellem.
"We lived there before they got us out in 2005."
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in