Two decades after the Disengagement, the settler movement finds itself in a position unthinkable just a few years ago: with political allies in high office, a groundswell of public backing, and a narrative fueled by the trauma of October 7. Whether they can translate this momentum into actual civilian communities inside Gaza depends on forces far beyond their control.

On August 17, 2005, Israeli soldiers and police entered Gush Katif and the other Jewish communities of the Gaza Strip to carry out the Disengagement Plan. In a matter of days, 21 settlements—home to nearly 9,000 Israelis—were emptied. For those forced out, and for the broader religious-Zionist movement, the withdrawal was not merely a political setback but a deep national trauma. The evacuation was seen as a retreat from what many believed was the unbroken march toward the redemption of the Land of Israel.

In the years that followed, the pain of that moment became a defining force for a generation of settlement leaders. The shock and humiliation of the expulsions forged a new determination to regain influence over Israel’s future in both Judea and Samaria and Gaza. For many, the dream of returning to Gush Katif and other parts of the Strip never faded.

October 7 Rekindles Vision and Value of Jewish Presence

That dormant vision erupted back into the public arena after October 7, 2023. The Hamas-led attack, in which roughly 1,200 people—most of them civilians—were murdered, was for many on the right the clearest vindication yet of their long-standing warning: that abandoning Gaza to Hamas would invite catastrophe.

Within weeks, the Nachala Settlement Movement and other veteran activists convened to plan their response. They gathered in the home of Rabbi Avik Schreiber, formerly of Kfar Darom in central Gaza, and mapped out a two-track strategy: pressuring lawmakers and government ministers to commit to resettlement, while also mounting a grassroots campaign to sway the broader public.

The political terrain was unusually favorable. Key members of the governing coalition were themselves settlers or longtime opponents of the 2005 Disengagement. The religious-Zionist and nationalist currents within Likud meant that Gaza resettlement advocates found receptive ears among influential figures close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

An Idea Moves from Fringe to Mainstream

A turning point came on January 28, 2024, at the “Settlement Brings Security” conference in Jerusalem. Organized by Nachala, the event drew thousands of activists and a striking number of political heavyweights—eleven cabinet ministers and fifteen coalition MKs. Attendees signed a formal declaration calling for the rebuilding of Jewish communities in the Gaza Strip.

It was also the moment when the discussion of Gaza resettlement spilled into the mainstream, attracting both domestic and foreign media coverage and even prompting diplomatic protests. The mood in the hall was celebratory, with music, dancing, and speeches that recalled the “lost paradise” of Gush Katif. Critics saw the festivity as jarring so soon after October 7, with hostages still held in Gaza, but for the movement’s leaders, the event was proof that their cause was regaining legitimacy.

At the conference, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi spoke openly about promoting “voluntary emigration” of Palestinians from Gaza, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir endorsed the idea of resettlement as a national goal. Nachala’s leadership announced that 400 families had already committed to joining new settlements. By mid-2025, that number had swelled to about 1,000. The list includes not only religious-Zionist families but also secular Israelis and residents of southern communities long battered by rocket fire.

Building Momentum for Establishing Communities

Following the January breakthrough, Nachala and allied groups staged a series of high-profile actions. Independence Day 2024 saw a rally near the Gaza border that organizers say drew 50,000 people. On Sukkot that year, another border gathering featured settler leader Daniella Weiss speaking openly about the goal of transferring Gaza’s civilian population out of the territory.

Activists have also established symbolic “outposts” just outside Gaza’s perimeter to signal their readiness. In February 2024, one such encampment—complete with makeshift structures—was set up near the Erez crossing before being dismantled by security forces. Some participants were indicted for entering a closed military zone.

Weiss herself managed to slip into northern Gaza in November 2024 to survey potential settlement sites. Her strategy mirrors one used for decades in the West Bank: anchor new civilian communities near military positions and push for their eventual legalization. “It’s only when we hold on to the soil, to the grains of sand,” she told supporters, “that the army will raise a white flag” and accept the settlers’ presence.

In July 2025, around 1,000 activists marched from Sderot to the Gaza border, demanding to be allowed to scout locations for Jewish communities. Six cabinet ministers and sixteen coalition MKs endorsed the initiative.

Polls suggest the idea of returning to Gaza has gained traction beyond the religious-Zionist base. A November 2024 Israel Democracy Institute survey found 36 percent of Israelis supported resettlement, with 58.5 percent opposed. Less than a year later, a poll for Israel Hayom showed 52 percent in favor. While Arab Israelis remain almost uniformly opposed, the shift among Jewish Israelis reflects the degree to which October 7 reshaped national attitudes.

Netanyahu’s Reluctance Among Many Obstacles to Settlement

Despite growing support among the public and in parts of his coalition, Prime Minister Netanyahu has been consistent in publicly rejecting the idea of permanent civilian presence in Gaza. He has described such plans as unrealistic and has told foreign media that while Israel seeks lasting security control over the Strip, “we don’t want to govern it.”

This position has angered many on the right. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich recently declared he had “lost faith” in Netanyahu’s ability to secure victory, insisting that victory must include annexation of parts of Gaza and the opening of “gates to voluntary migration.”

Netanyahu’s refusal to embrace the settlers’ vision is seen by his critics as an attempt to avoid an open rift with international partners and to sidestep the diplomatic crisis that would come from placing Gaza under permanent Israeli civilian control.

For now, the reality on the ground makes spontaneous settlement construction in Gaza difficult. The territory remains under intense military operations, with the IDF controlling key areas. The kind of rapid “facts on the ground” tactics used in the West Bank—small outposts that are later legalized—cannot easily be replicated under current conditions.

Any political agreement that leads to an Israeli withdrawal from most of Gaza would, at least temporarily, close the window for resettlement. The movement’s leaders are well aware of this. But as Weiss often points out, the settlement enterprise in the West Bank has been built over decades through persistence and opportunism, and she envisions applying the same “copy-paste” method to Gaza over the long term.

Ruins to Riviera? Visions of a Transformed Gaza

Some activists and far-right politicians have gone beyond simply calling for rebuilt settlements. In July 2025, plans were floated for a “Gaza Riviera” — a sweeping redevelopment concept involving hundreds of thousands of housing units, modern transport infrastructure, and luxury beachfront communities for Israelis, with Palestinians relocated abroad. Proponents describe it as a bold act of renewal; detractors call it a blueprint for mass displacement and an international flashpoint.

Two decades after the Disengagement, the settler movement finds itself in a position unthinkable just a few years ago: with political allies in high office, a groundswell of public backing, and a narrative fueled by the trauma of October 7. Whether they can translate this momentum into actual civilian communities inside Gaza depends on forces far beyond their control — the course of the ongoing war, the posture of Israel’s leadership, and the inevitable pressure from the international community.

For now, the vision endures. To its advocates, resettling Gaza is not merely about reclaiming land, but about correcting what they see as a historic mistake, restoring security to the south, and completing the mission they believe was interrupted in 2005. To its opponents, it is a dangerous fantasy that risks entrenching the conflict indefinitely.

As Israel marks the 20th anniversary of the Disengagement, the debate over Gaza’s future has moved from the political margins into the heart of the national conversation — and shows no sign of fading.