Dozens of Israelis break into Gaza, raise Israeli flag

Several Israeli members of a far-right settler group entered the Gaza Strip on Thursday from various access points, the Israeli army reported.

Israeli forces subsequently prevented them from progressing further into the besieged territory, the army said.

The Israelis involved are affiliated with the Nachala Movement, an Orthodox settler movement led by Daniella Weiss, and had convened for an event titled "Raising the flag in Gaza". 

Weiss said: "It is precisely in these days [of Hannukkah] that we need to say in a clear voice 'Gaza belongs to the people of Israel', and we must start settling there right now."

The Nachala movement has been building illegal settlements on land in the occupied West Bank for decades.

According to its plan, some 300,000 housing units will be built in Gaza, the vast majority of which are in two main residential areas in the northern and southern parts of the strip. It calls for the Gaza Strip to be populated by about 1.2 million Jews, who are expected to enjoy green spaces, transportation, industrial zones, hotels, a university and even a port.

"The right of the people of Israel to the Gaza Strip is the same as to Jerusalem, Hebron and Tel Aviv," the plan states.