Israelis march to Gaza border demanding re-establishment of settlements

Thousands of Israelis, including settlers and right-wing activists, marched towards the border with Gaza on Sunday, calling on the government to re-establish Israeli settlements in the war-shattered Palestinian territory, an Agence France-Presse 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.

Agence France-Presse 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.”

Sellem said the march was intended to push the government to authorise a return to Gaza, more than two decades after Israel evacuated all settlements from the territory under a 2005 disengagement plan.