Israel's far right discusses Gaza ‘riviera' plans
A man wounded as he waited for humanitarian aid in northern Gaza is transported away, on July 22.
JERUSALEM - Some Israeli far-right leaders held a public meeting on July 22 to discuss redeveloping the Gaza Strip into a tourist-friendly 'riviera', as Palestinians face a worsening humanitarian crisis in the devastated territory.
The meeting, titled 'The Riviera in Gaza: From Vision to Reality', was held in the Knesset, Israel's Parliament, under the auspices of some of its most hardline members.
It saw the participation of firebrand Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, as well as activist Daniella Weiss, a vocal proponent of Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip, among others.
The name of the event evokes
a proposal floated by US President Donald Trump in February to turn the war-ravaged territory into 'the Riviera of the Middle East' after moving out its Palestinian residents and putting it under American control.
The idea
drew swift condemnation from across the Arab world, and from Palestinians themselves, for whom any effort to force them off their land would recall the 'Nakba', or catastrophe – the
mass displacement of Palestinians during Israel's creation in 1948.
Participants in the July 22 Knesset meeting discussed a 'master plan' drafted by Ms Weiss' organisation to re-establish a permanent Jewish presence in Gaza.
The detailed plan foresees the construction of housing for 1.2 million new Jewish residents, and the development of industrial and agricultural zones, as well as tourism complexes on the coast.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Two found dead after fire in Toa Payoh flat
Singapore Singaporeans aged 21 to 59 can claim $600 SG60 vouchers from July 22
Singapore Singaporeans continue to hold world's most powerful passport in latest ranking
Singapore Singapore, Vietnam agree to step up defence ties, dialogue between leaders
Asia Malaysia govt's reform pledge tested as DAP chief bows over unresolved 2009 death of political aide
Tech Singapore to increase pool of early adopters in AI to complement data scientists, engineers
Singapore Prosecution says judge who acquitted duo of bribing ex-LTA official had copied defence arguments
Singapore Ports and planes: The 2 Singapore firms helping to keep the world moving
Eight Israeli settlements located in various parts of the Gaza Strip were dismantled in 2005 as part of Israel's unilateral decision to 'disengage' from Gaza following years of violence between settlers, Palestinian armed groups and the army.
For the past two decades, a small but vocal section of Israeli society has urged the resettlement of the Strip.
Those voices have become louder after
Palestinian militant group Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, with advocates presenting resettlement as a way to maintain tighter security control over the area.
The Oct 7 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Israel's ensuing military campaign in Gaza has killed 59,106 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in the Strip has
reached catastrophic proportions after 21 months of conflict and a two-month aid blockade imposed by Israel.
Israel began easing the blockade in late May, but extreme scarcities of food and other essentials persist, and cases of malnutrition and starvation are becoming increasingly frequent, according to local authorities, NGOs and AFP journalists on the ground. AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
25 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Man pictured naked in his yard on Google Street View wins compensation
Find out what's new on ST website and app. An appeals court in Argentina concluded the man's dignity had been flagrantly violated. BUENOS AIRES - An Argentine captured naked in his yard by a Google Street View camera has been awarded compensation by a court after his bare behind was splashed over the internet for all to see. The policeman had sought payment from the internet giant for harm to his dignity, arguing he was behind a 2m-high wall when a Google camera captured him in the buff, from behind, in a small-town in Argentina in 2017. His house number and street name were also laid bare, broadcast on Argentine TV covering the story, and shared widely on social media. The man claimed the invasion exposed him to ridicule at work and among his neighbours. Another court in 2024 dismissed the man's claim for damages, ruling he only had himself to blame for 'walking around in inappropriate conditions in the garden of his home.' Google, for its part, claimed the perimeter wall was not high enough. Appeals judges, however, concluded the man's dignity had been flagrantly violated, and awarded him an amount in Argentine pesos equivalent to about US$12,500 (S$16,000), payable by Google. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia 11 Thai civilians killed as Thai and Cambodian militaries clash at disputed border: Reports Asia Singapore urges all parties in Thailand-Cambodia border dispute to exercise restraint Asia Deadly Thai-Cambodian dispute puts Asean's relevance on the line Life Hulk Hogan, who helped turn pro wrestling into a billion-dollar spectacle, dies at 71 Singapore Avoid water activities around Tuas Second Link, Raffles Marina after chemical tank accident: NEA Singapore Khatib Camp to make way for housing, with its functions moving to Amoy Quee Camp Singapore Mindef to set up new volunteer management unit to grow volunteer pool Singapore Primary 1 registration: 29 schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2B 'This involves an image of a person that was not captured in a public space but within the confines of their home, behind a fence taller than the average-sized person. The invasion of privacy... is blatant,' they wrote. The judges said 'there is no doubt that in this case there was an arbitrary intrusion into another's life.' And they found there was 'no justification for (Google) to evade responsibility for this serious error that involved an intrusion into the plaintiff's house, within his private domain, undermining his dignity. 'No one wants to appear exposed to the world as the day they were born.' The judges pointed to Google's policy of blurring the faces and licence plates of people and vehicles photographed for Street View as evidence it was aware of a duty to avoid harm to third parties. But in this case, 'it was not his face that was visible but his entire naked body, an image that should also have been prevented.' The court absolved co-accused telecoms company Cablevision SA and news site El Censor of liability for the image spreading, saying their actions had 'helped highlight the misstep committed by Google.' AFP
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
UK's Starmer to hold urgent talks over Gaza 'humanitarian catastrophe'
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India (not pictured) as they meet for bilateral talks at Chequers near Aylesbury, England, Thursday, July 24, 2025. Kin Cheung/Pool via REUTERS LONDON - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would hold an emergency call with France and Germany over the situation in Gaza, which he described as an "unspeakable and indefensible" humanitarian catastrophe. In a strongly worded statement late on Thursday, Starmer said he would discuss with partners "what we can do urgently to stop the killing and get people the food they desperately need," and called on Israel to allow aid into the Palestinian enclave. "The suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza is unspeakable and indefensible. While the situation has been grave for some time, it has reached new depths and continues to worsen. We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe," Starmer said. "We all agree on the pressing need for Israel to change course and allow the aid that is desperately needed to enter Gaza without delay," he added, referring to France and Germany. Gaza's health authorities have said over 100 people have died from starvation, most of them in recent weeks. More than 100 organisations, including Mercy Corps, the Norwegian Refugee Council and Refugees International, have said mass starvation is spreading in Gaza even as tons of food and other supplies sit untouched just outside the enclave. Israel, which cut off all supplies to Gaza from the start of March and reopened the flow with new restrictions in May, says it is committed to allowing aid in but must control it to prevent it from being diverted by militants. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia 11 Thai civilians killed as Thai and Cambodian militaries clash at disputed border: Reports Asia Singapore urges all parties in Thailand-Cambodia border dispute to exercise restraint Asia Deadly Thai-Cambodian dispute puts Asean's relevance on the line Life Hulk Hogan, who helped turn pro wrestling into a billion-dollar spectacle, dies at 71 Singapore Avoid water activities around Tuas Second Link, Raffles Marina after chemical tank accident: NEA Singapore Khatib Camp to make way for housing, with its functions moving to Amoy Quee Camp Singapore Mindef to set up new volunteer management unit to grow volunteer pool Singapore Primary 1 registration: 29 schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2B Starmer said he supported U.S., Qatari and Egyptian efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza. "A ceasefire will put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution," he said. REUTERS
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Judge finds five former players not guilty of sexual assault in Hockey Canada trial
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Dillon Dube arrives at court as a judge prepares to announce the verdict in the trial against five teammates from Canada's 2018 gold medal–winning world junior hockey team, charged with sexually assaulting a woman in a hotel room, at the Superior Court of Justice in London, Ontario, Canada, July 24, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio Five former members of Canada's 2018 world junior ice hockey team were found not guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in a hotel room that year, a judge declared on Thursday, according to CBC News. The charges against Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube, Carter Hart and Cal Foote stemmed from an encounter in a hotel room in the Canadian city of London after a Hockey Canada gala to celebrate their world junior championship victory. All five former National Hockey League players faced one count of sexual assault while McLeod faced an additional count of being a party to an offence. They all pleaded not guilty. McLeod was also found not guilty of the additional charge. When the charges were announced in January 2024, McLeod and Foote were with the New Jersey Devils, Dube was with the Calgary Flames, Hart was with the Philadelphia Flyers while Formenton was playing in Switzerland. The trial, which began in April, has faced many disruptions including a mistrial and two dismissed juries before a decision to proceed to a judge-alone trial. A police investigation into the alleged incident was closed without charges in February 2019, but investigators reopened it in July 2022 in response to public outrage over reports that Hockey Canada used players' registration fees to pay an undisclosed settlement to the woman who made the accusations. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia 11 Thai civilians killed as Thai and Cambodian militaries clash at disputed border: Reports Asia Singapore urges all parties in Thailand-Cambodia border dispute to exercise restraint Asia Deadly Thai-Cambodian dispute puts Asean's relevance on the line Life Hulk Hogan, who helped turn pro wrestling into a billion-dollar spectacle, dies at 71 Singapore Avoid water activities around Tuas Second Link, Raffles Marina after chemical tank accident: NEA Singapore Khatib Camp to make way for housing, with its functions moving to Amoy Quee Camp Singapore Mindef to set up new volunteer management unit to grow volunteer pool Singapore Primary 1 registration: 29 schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2B The scandal prompted the Canadian federal government to freeze Hockey Canada's funding for 10 months while a number of major companies either paused or canceled their sponsorships with the national governing body. Amid the scandal, Hockey Canada said it would no longer use the fund financed by player registration fees to settle sexual assault claims, and the organization's CEO and board of directors stepped down. REUTERS
