40 Israeli settlers try to break into Gaza, Hebrew media reports

Gaza (Quds News Network)- 40 far-right Israeli settlers tried to break into the Gaza Strip from the Beit Hanoon crossing, known as the Erez crossing, in northern Gaza, Hebrew media outlets reported Thursday.

According to The Times of Israel, the settlers were intercepted by Israeli security services and transported from the area, and seven were arrested and some 20 taken for questioning

The unnamed group released a statement specifying their intentions, as reported by the Israeli public media outlet Kan. They were trying to conduct a Jewish prayer service in Gaza, marking the so-called Jewish holiday of Tisha B’Av, which commemorates the destruction of the old temples.

“We were honored to take part in an attempt to hold Shacharit prayers inside the Gaza Strip, with the belief that Gaza is part of the Greater Land of Israel and from the clear understanding that only settlement can be considered a victory,” the statement read.

“And only a Jewish Gaza will remove the threat of rockets, return the hostages from Gaza, and bring security to the south and country as a whole,” it continued.

Another seven Israeli settlers were reportedly arrested as Israeli police dismantled Elei Aza, a two-month-old illegal religious settlement that was set up near Gaza’s northern border. The settlers in the settlement, whose name means “toward Gaza” in Hebrew, said they were trying to resettle the Strip.

The group said it had recordings of a conversation with police and army officials “telling us to be in the area where we are now.”

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