The Israeli military declared areas surrounding the Gaza Strip a closed military zone on Sunday ahead of a march organised by the far-right Nahala settlement movement.

The order barred all non-residents from entering the designated area and prohibited demonstrators from approaching the boundary fence with Gaza.

The closure extended from the Yad Mordechai junction, west of Highway 34, to the Sha’ar HaNegev junction. It continued west of Highway 232 towards the Kerem Shalom area.

The restrictions took effect at 8 a.m. on Sunday and were scheduled to remain in place until the same time on Monday, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Ministers join calls to resettle Gaza

The march, titled “Thousands March to Gaza,” was organised under the slogan “After 21 years, we are returning home”—a reference to Israel’s 2005 withdrawal from Gaza and the dismantling of settlements in the Gush Katif bloc.

Several senior Israeli government officials were expected to participate, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, Economy and Industry Minister Nir Barkat, Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu and Social Equality Minister May Golan were also listed among the expected participants.

Golan encouraged Israelis to join the demonstration, declaring that “settlement equals security.”

Several far-right members of the Knesset were also expected to attend, including Limor Son Har-Melech and Almog Cohen of the Otzma Yehudit party, alongside Simcha Rothman and Zvi Sukkot of the Religious Zionism party.

The participation of government ministers gave further political weight to growing calls within Israel’s far right to establish settlements inside Gaza.

Nahala intensifies its campaign

The Nahala movement increased its online mobilisation in the days leading up to the march. Its campaign also received support from several bereaved Israeli families.

Among them was Eliav Libi, whose son David Libi was killed in Gaza in May 2025 while carrying out engineering work for the Israeli military on behalf of the Defence Ministry.

Libi urged supporters to gather at the Yad Mordechai junction and called for Israelis to “return home.”

Since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza in 2023, Nahala has organised several demonstrations demanding the re-establishment of settlements in the enclave.

In February, approximately 1,500 people gathered near the Gaza boundary with Israeli flags and tree saplings. Organisers planned to plant the trees near the remains of Nisanit, one of the Israeli settlements dismantled in 2005.

The Israeli military condemned that demonstration and deployed soldiers and police officers to prevent civilians from reaching or crossing the fence.

In December, a group connected to the movement succeeded in crossing into Gaza before Israeli soldiers returned its members to Israel. Another attempted crossing reportedly occurred at a different section of the fence.

March redirected following agreement

Nahala later announced that it had reached an agreement with the Israeli military preventing participants from entering Gaza.

Organisers said the march would instead end near the entrance to Zikim Beach, where participants would look towards the former settlement of Eli Sinai and Gaza’s northern boundary.

The movement used the gathering to demand the immediate establishment of settlements at the former sites of Nisanit, Dugit and Eli Sinai. It claimed that 28 ministers, cabinet members and lawmakers participated alongside soldiers, wounded Israelis and bereaved families.

The campaign comes amid extensive destruction across Gaza and growing concern that proposals to establish Israeli settlements could permanently displace Palestinians from parts of the enclave.