Israeli media: Gaza Envelope settlements excluded from rebuild plan

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
25 Oct 2023 13:51

Settlements and kibbutzim 4 km away from the Gaza Strip have not been included in a compensation plan by authorities, thus enraging settlers.

The Israeli occupation forces take media members on a tour of settlements in Gaza's Envelope, "Be'eri", October 22, 2023 (AFP)

Israeli settlers in Gaza's Envelope are outraged and dissatisfied after news emerged that their settlements will not be rebuilt, the Israeli Ynet news website reported.

Previous reports indicated that settlements in Gaza's Envelope require more than $800 million for a potential rebuilding project.

The "Tkuma Directorate", in the western occupied al-Naqab, did not include settlements and kibbutzim such as "Mefalsim", "Yakhini", and "Pri Gan" in a rebuilding plan for the Gaza's Envelope settlements.

The "Tkuma Directorate" said it will not include these outposts in its plans since they are located just a few kilometers away from the Gaza Strip, adding that settlers will not be eligible for compensation.

The settlements' leaders expressed their outrage, as they feel like the Israeli government has abandoned them for the second time; the first being when the occupation military and security apparatuses failed to deal with Resistance fighters who advanced through these settlements on October 7.

The Directorate announced that it would transfer two million shekel (around $500,000) as an initial payment to each settlement in Gaza's Envelope. However, it soon became obvious that not all settlements would be eligible for compensation from the Israeli government.

Leaders of the colonial outposts emphasized that they would not remain silent and would insist on receiving their "rights".

The Israeli government is currently dealing with a flurry of crises, including a large influx of settlers who fled to areas in central occupied Palestine and "Eilat".

So far, Israeli authorities evacuated more than 135,000 settlers, while others did so at their own expense.

Moreover, Ynet reported that 2,000 Israeli workers were placed on unpaid leave on Monday, while more than 10,000 workers faced similar consequences.

Israeli companies are pleading with their government to find an immediate response to workers' wages. Trade organizations are saying that more than 100,000 workers will be placed on unpaid leave if the government does not compensate employers.

This comes as the Israeli Insurance Institute reported that the number of applications for unemployment benefits from employees placed on unpaid leave has significantly increased in recent days.