Dozens Of Israelis To Cross Border & Settle In Gaza

When asked what should happen to the Palestinians currently living in the territory, one Israeli woman replied: “We should kill them. Every last one of them.”

As the sun beats down on us near Kibbutz Be’eri in Israel, Avi looks out towards the place he really wants to live. It’s only two miles away and it shimmers in the sunshine.
“It would be our privilege,” he says, looking at his wife and three small children. Their plan is to move to Gaza.
He’s not sure when it will be possible, but he’s hoping it will be soon, once it is safe to move in.

As if on cue, there is a boom as another shell is fired into Gaza from a nearby gun emplacement.
Avi is not alone.
Around us are dozens and dozens of Israelis who are keen to get into Gaza and claim the land as their own. They have come to a conference on the resettlement of Gaza in Kibbutz Be’eri as a show of strength and determination. Many of them are couples with children.

What, I ask, about the Palestinians who already live in Gaza? What should happen to them? She doesn’t miss a beat.
“We should kill them, every last one of them. And if the government won’t do that then we should just kick them out. This is our land. And we deserve it.”

Until recently, the idea of sending settlers into Gaza had very few supporters – a fringe proposal with almost no momentum.
Now right-wing politicians have jumped behind it with gusto as a growing sign of their determination not simply to beat Hamas, but to change the region.

Daniella Weiss takes to the stage to applause. Now a sprightly 79 years old, she has spent half a century encouraging settlers to set up communities in the West Bank.

She claims to have established more than 330 settlements and now, her focus is on Gaza.