Amir Cohen/Pool/Reuters
A boisterous weekend convention held at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem in which Israeli officials—including several of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ministers—called for Israeli resettlement in Gaza is exposing deep rifts between Washington and Jerusalem.
At the conference, a number of top Israeli officials advocated for Israel’s reoccupation of Gaza after Israel’s war in Gaza comes to a close. Some advocated for the “voluntary” removal of Palestinians from the enclave.
Footage of the gathering posted to social media show many dancing, jumping, and fist-pumping in apparent celebration. That, even in the face of Israel killing tens of thousands of Palestinians in its bombardment of Gaza in recent months, the dire humanitarian situation and human suffering in the enclave, and over 100 hostages still held captive by Hamas.