From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
Smotrich claims he discussed ‘security annexation’ of Gaza Strip with IDF chief; says Israel will make Gaza ‘inseparable part’ of state
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleAriela Karmel is a political correspondent at The Times of Israel. She previously reported for Calcalist and Haaretz. She holds an MA in Middle Eastern and African History from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich claims he discussed the possibility of annexing parts of the Gaza Strip with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, while speaking at a Knesset conference called “The Gaza Riviera – from vision to reality.”
“The chief of staff told us last week that there needs to be a security annexation,” he says. “I truly believe there is a tremendous opportunity here. We can start with the northern border and establish three communities there. We are already talking about it.”
The conference, organized by MKs Zvi Sukkot (Religious Zionism) and Limor Son Har-Melech (Otzma Yehudit), presents plans for reestablishing Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip. The conference is aimed at presenting “a Zionist, security, and ethical response” to Israel’s 2005 disengagement from Gaza, which they strongly criticized, and the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023.
“We will occupy Gaza and make it an inseparable part of the State of Israel,” continues Smotrich, who heads the coalition’s far-right Religious Zionism party.
Attendees include government ministers, Knesset members, heads of regional councils, security personnel, bereaved families, relatives of hostages, researchers and activists. Speakers call for making Jewish settlement in Gaza a binding government policy.
Smotrich also notes that “we have great support from the president of the United States to turn Gaza into a prosperous strip, a resort town with employment. That’s how you make peace.” He adds that a proposed plan to relocate Gazans to other countries will serve as a means of facilitating the settlement of the strip.
The remarks come months after US President Donald Trump proposed that all of Gaza’s residents be moved indefinitely while the Strip is rebuilt. He shared an AI-generated music video to his Truth Social platform in February, showing a version of his stated vision for a Gaza Strip “riviera.”
Arab countries and much of the Western world strongly opposed the idea, while Smotrich and many others in the governing coalition enthusiastically supported it.
The Times of Israel Community.