Smotrich says Defense Ministry has drawn up plans for three Gaza settlements, awaiting Netanyahu sign-off

Summary

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced June 29 at a ceremony near the Gaza border that the Defense Ministry Settlement Administration has completed preliminary work for three Jewish settlements in northern Gaza, pending authorization from Prime Minister Netanyahu and the defense minister. Smotrich made the statement at Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha, where 1,000 new housing units are under construction, and said: "We are prepared to establish three settlements in the northern perimeter immediately, the moment we receive the green light from the prime minister and the minister of defense." He also called for Israel to seize the remaining 30 percent of Gaza it does not yet control, framing settlements as a security belt for southern Israeli communities. The US has consistently opposed Jewish settlements in Gaza, making Netanyahu's formal approval uncertain.

The split

The Times of Israel leads with the procedural detail: the Settlement Administration has done the groundwork, and the decision rests with Netanyahu. Haaretz adds that the IDF chief has floated "security annexation," suggesting military brass are also applying internal pressure. Al Jazeera foregrounds Smotrich's conquest rhetoric and the illegality of settlements under international law, reflecting a framing shared across Arab and most European outlets. The procedural vs. maximalist distinction matters: the Israeli establishment press treats this as a political negotiation inside the coalition, while international coverage treats it as a statement of intent to colonize.

By the numbers

• 3, settlements Smotrich says are ready to build in northern Gaza
• 70, percent of Gaza Israel currently controls, per Smotrich's own figure
• 1,000, new housing units under construction at Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha, where Smotrich spoke
• 1, number of additional approvals needed: Netanyahu plus defense minister

Why it matters

Smotrich's announcement makes explicit what coalition politics have implied: a formal resettlement plan for Gaza exists in bureaucratic form and is waiting for political authorization. If Netanyahu approves, it would mark the first formal settlement establishment in Gaza since Israel's 2005 disengagement and would trigger a rupture with the US, the EU, and the Arab states that have conditionally backed the ceasefire architecture. If he declines, Smotrich has created a public record of governmental readiness that raises pressure on any future government.

What to watch

• Netanyahu's response: approval, explicit rejection, or silence that leaves the option open.
• US reaction beyond reiterated opposition, including whether it conditions further arms transfers.
• Whether the IDF chief's reported sympathy with "security annexation" surfaces as an official position.
• Palestinian Authority and Hamas responses and whether the announcement affects the 加沙第二阶段因第8条僵持，和平委员会在塞浦路斯"重新校准" track.