Israeli Culture Minister Calls Palestinians ‘Guests’ in Gaza

Israeli Culture Minister and member of the ruling Likud party, Miki Zohar, in statements described as “provocative,” said of Gaza that it is part of Israel and that Palestinians in the sector have the status of “guests” who are allowed to live there temporarily by Israeli authorities.

“We only allow them to stay there as guests for a certain amount of time, but Gaza is ours,” he added in an interview with the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, according to the Times of Israel on Friday.

He also claimed that “Judea and Samaria” also belong to Israel, referring to the West Bank. He added, “We are not occupying our land.”

The statements come as the United States pushes for the implementation of the second phase of the Gaza deal, which calls for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the devastated Palestinian territory and the start of reconstruction. At the same time, Israel continues to build more settlements in the West Bank.

In August, the Israeli Civil Administration approved a new “E-1” plan covering 12 square kilometers east of Jerusalem. According to the text of the decision, the plan would connect Ma’ale Adumim, parts of which were built on land in the town of Al-Eizariya, to the city of Jerusalem. This would effectively separate East Jerusalem from the Palestinian territories. Israel captured it in 1967 and annexed it to its own country.

It is worth noting that Israeli settlements are illegal under international law, whether they are government-sanctioned or unauthorized. According to Israeli official sources, there are 370,000 Palestinians and more than 230,000 Israelis living in East Jerusalem.