Latest news with #SettlementsandNationalMissions
L'Orient-Le Jour
a day ago
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Smotrich unveils plan to sell land near Lebanon border to ‘reinforce' northern Israel
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right member of the government, on Wednesday announced a new plan to sell building plots in northern Israel, near the Lebanese border. The initiative, developed in coordination with Minister of Settlements and National Missions Orit Strock — a prominent figure in the settler movement and a member of Smotrich's Religious Zionism party — was unveiled during a conference titled 'Strengthening the North,' Israeli Channel 12 reported. Smotrich also praised the terms of the cease-fire agreement with Lebanon that came into effect on Nov. 27, 2024, and insisted that Israel 'will not withdraw from the [five] positions it occupies on Lebanese territory.' He said the government would offer 'serviced land, ready to build on, in the north of the country' for just 100,000 shekels (around $27,000), adding that military reservists would be eligible to buy the plots for only 50,000 shekels (around $14,800). He described the deal as 'an offer you can't refuse.' 'The state (of Israel) needs you,' he said, as northern Israel continues to recover from the nearly 13-month war with Hezbollah that began on Oct. 8, 2023, and ended with a fragile truce on Nov. 27, 2024. The terms of that cease-fire remain under negotiation and have been consistently violated by Israel. Despite Hezbollah's military losses and the ongoing cease-fire, many residents of northern Israel have yet to return to their homes. 'They talk to us about returning, but there's nowhere to return to,' said David Azoulay, head of the Metula municipal council — Israel's northernmost town — in early March. Some 2,900 buildings were damaged in Israel during the fighting, according to a February estimate by former Housing Minister Ze'ev Elkin. 'Even Khamenei has lost hope in Hezbollah' Smotrich said there is now 'a real possibility that Hezbollah could be totally disarmed,' and claimed that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had 'lost hope' in the party and is now 'completely indifferent as to whether it is rebuilt or not.' While U.S. envoy Tom Barrack has raised the prospect of a new agreement between Lebanon and Israel during recent visits to Beirut, Smotrich defended the current deal, calling it 'a good agreement.' He argued that it gives Israel 'full legitimacy to effectively prevent Hezbollah from reorganizing at the border.' Despite the cease-fire, Israel has continued near-daily strikes on southern Lebanon, increased incursions along the border, and killed at least 285 people — both militants and civilians — since the truce began, according to a tally by the United Nations and L'Orient-Le Jour. Israel also continues to occupy five positions on Lebanese territory, located on elevated ground near the border. Smotrich reaffirmed that the country 'will not withdraw' from those areas, despite cease-fire terms calling for a full Israeli pullout from Lebanese land.
Shafaq News
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Israeli Minister Strock: Dismantling Hamas priority regardless of hostage risk
Shafaq News – Middle East On Monday, Israeli Minister of Settlements and National Missions, Orit Strock, urged the military to expand its operations into every part of Gaza, including areas believed to hold hostages—a position critics warn could jeopardize their lives. 'There must not be 'don't touch me' zones in Gaza,' Strock told Kol Barama radio. 'Leaving them intact endangers the residents of border communities and the entire south.' Strock, a member of the far-right Religious Zionism party, acknowledged the risk to hostages but insisted that dismantling Hamas infrastructure must take precedence, claiming militants based in those zones regularly launch attacks on southern Israel and attempt to capture soldiers. 'To win, Israel must take full control of those areas and prevent them from remaining terrorist strongholds—both above and below ground.' Her comments sparked immediate backlash from the Hostages Families Forum, which accused her of treating captives as expendable. The forum condemned her stance as 'a disgrace to the [Israeli] government,' adding that 'it's unsurprising coming from someone who has, since the beginning, been a stubborn obstacle to securing their release.' Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack, which followed years of blockade and military tensions, killed about 1,200 Israelis and led to 251 hostages being taken. In response, Israel launched a massive military campaign that has killed more than 58,800 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. So far, Israel has reportedly rescued eight hostages alive and recovered several bodies. Officials estimate 56 hostages remain in Gaza, with about one-third thought to be alive. Israel and Hamas have also engaged in limited prisoner exchanges since the outbreak of war in October 2023, resulting in the release of dozens of hostages and Palestinian detainees as part of temporary ceasefire arrangements.
Roya News
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Roya News
"Israeli" settlements minister accused of sexual abuse by daughter
Orit Strook, "Israel's" Minister of Settlements and National Missions, is facing serious accusations from her daughter, Shoshana Strook, who has come forward alleging long-term sexual and physical abuse by both parents and one of her brothers. Shoshana, in a public statement posted on social media, revealed she had filed a formal complaint in Italy and was seeking accountability. 'After a long period of doubt, extreme emotional states, and a lot of guilt, I wanted to share that I experienced sexual abuse by both of my parents and one of my brothers,' she wrote. She further alleged that her three younger brothers were victims of physical abuse. 'After years of beatings and guilt, I finally spoke out. The memories are overwhelming, but I need justice.' The accusations come as a major blow to Orit Strook, a far-right politician known for her extremist views and vocal support of illegal "Israeli" settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. Strook has gained notoriety in recent months for pushing unfounded claims that Hamas carried out sexual assaults during the October 7 events—claims that human rights organizations have disputed or found to lack substantiation. This is not the first time the Strook family has faced scrutiny. In 2007, Strook's son, Zviki Strook, was convicted of assaulting a Palestinian teenager in a brutal attack that reportedly included torture and animal cruelty. He was sentenced to 30 months in prison. Despite the conviction, Orit Strook defended her son, stating, 'Unlike the court, which preferred to believe the Arab witnesses, we are sure of Zvi's innocence and are hurting from the success of his haters.' Shoshana did not specify which brother was involved in the sexual abuse allegations, leaving it unclear if Zviki was the one implicated. A longtime figure in the settler movement, Orit Strook moved from the evacuated Sinai settlement of Yamit to Hebron, where she emerged as a prominent voice for the far-right. She helped found an NGO backing illegal settlements and has remained entrenched in the Avraham Avinu settlement. Her rhetoric has grown increasingly extreme. In a May 2024 Knesset session, she declared, 'There is no such thing as a Palestinian people… There will never be a Palestinian state in the land of Israel. Every cultured person in the world knows that this land is ours, for the Israeli people and only for us.'
