Israel’s National Planning and Construction Council approved a plan to establish a new Jewish settlement about seven kilometres from the Gaza Strip, according to Haaretz.
Reports indicate that the forthcoming settlement near Netivot will be named Hanon. It was noted that the Minister of Environmental Protection, Idit Silman, attended the commission’s discussions, a departure from customary practice.
Earlier, there were statements that Jordan’s West Bank would take responsibility for a far-right Jewish Orthodox trajectory.
The Middle East situation has deteriorated since thousands of Hamas militants crossed into Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7, with more than two hundred hostages reportedly captured.
In the ensuing days, Hamas launched several thousand rockets into Israel, and the operation codenamed Al-Aqsa Flood was announced. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the country is at war.
The Israel Defense Forces initiated Operation Iron Swords, aiming to reduce Hamas’s capabilities. The Israeli Air Force struck numerous Hamas targets across the Gaza Strip, while Israel’s National Security Council decided to cut off the flow of water, food, goods, electricity, and fuel into the enclave.
Former Prime Minister Netanyahu reaffirmed a commitment to diminishing Hamas’s influence and power in the region.