Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has announced plans to establish three Jewish settlements in northern Gaza, awaiting Prime Minister Netanyahu’s approval. These settlements would constitute a flagrant violation of international law, which prohibits an occupying power from transferring its civilian population into occupied territory under the Fourth Geneva Convention.

This announcement comes as Israeli forces now control 70% of Gaza, directly violating the US-backed ceasefire agreement that limited occupation to 53%. Despite Hamas fulfilling its hostage release obligations, Israel has used the ceasefire’s ambiguity on disarmament to justify its expansion. Over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed during Israel’s continued violations.

Smotrich’s remarks, alongside Netanyahu’s stated goal of taking “100%” of Gaza, confirm a systematic agenda of territorial acquisition. This is compounded by Israeli officials reviving plans for ethnic cleansing, rebranded as “free movement,” seeking to forcibly remove Gaza’s Palestinian population—a crime against humanity under international law.