Israeli Settler Movement Gains Momentum Amid Regional Conflicts and U.S. Support

Apr 24, 2026, 10:31

Introduction

A rally near the Gaza border in April 2026, organized by the hardline group Nachala, demonstrated the growing influence of the Israeli settler movement. Speakers, including activist Hadar Bar-Chai, called for the re-establishment of Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip, which is currently home to approximately two million Palestinians. The event occurred against a backdrop of ongoing military operations, a fragile ceasefire, and a broader political shift in Israel toward the far right, supported by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Main Body

The rally, held at the ''Black Arrow'' site near the Gaza perimeter, drew several hundred participants, some carrying firearms. Bar-Chai stated that the border fence would be removed and that Jews would again reside in Gaza, specifically referencing the destroyed city of Beit Hanoun as a future neighborhood of the Israeli city of Sderot. The march proceeded along the fence under the surveillance of an Israeli drone. The event was organized by Nachala, a group founded after Israel''s 2005 withdrawal from Gaza. The settler movement, once considered a fringe element, now holds key positions in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu''s coalition government, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. This political realignment followed the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, which resulted in 1,200 Israeli deaths and 251 hostages. The subsequent war has left over 70,000 Palestinians dead, according to reports, and the Israeli military controls 53% of the Gaza Strip under the current ceasefire terms. The settler movement''s ambitions extend beyond Gaza. In the West Bank, the settler population has grown from 250,000 at the time of the Oslo Accords to more than 730,000 today. New outposts, often illegal under Israeli law, are being rapidly connected to infrastructure and granted official status. Violence has escalated: in March 2026, settlers attacked the Palestinian village of Qaryut, killing two brothers, Mohammed and Fahim Moammar, and injuring a third, Jamil. The attack followed the construction of a road by settlers on land adjacent to the family''s olive grove. Israeli soldiers from an ultra-Orthodox unit were reported to have assaulted a CNN crew in a separate incident. Palestinian officials, including Deputy Foreign Minister Omar Awadallah, described Israel as acting with impunity, enabled by U.S. support. In southern Lebanon, Israel has established a security zone extending 5 to 10 kilometers into Lebanese territory, preventing the return of residents from 55 villages. Settlers attempted to cross into Lebanon in December 2025 and February 2026 but were turned back by the military. Daniella Weiss, a prominent settler leader sanctioned by Canada, stated that she has families ready to move into Gaza and envisions a territory populated by over a million Jews with no Palestinians. She also expressed intentions for settlement in Lebanon and Syria. U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, a self-described Christian Zionist, has endorsed Israeli control over Area C of the West Bank and suggested that Israel could declare sovereignty over the entire territory. The Trump administration lifted sanctions on the Hilltop Youth group, which had been imposed by the Biden administration. Differing perspectives within Israel were also evident. Hanna Barag, a co-founder of the monitoring group Machsom Watch, stated that she no longer recognizes the Israel of her youth, describing the current state as an ''apartheid'' regime. She attributed the far right''s ascendancy to Netanyahu''s need for coalition partners to avoid his corruption trial, combined with the trauma of October 7. Rachel Ben Dor, a former activist with the Four Mothers group that successfully lobbied for Israel''s withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000, expressed dismay at the return of Israeli troops to southern Lebanon. She suggested that the pro-peace left might even support Netanyahu to prevent the far right from gaining more power. Pollster Mitchell Barak noted that Israeli society is now divided between the right and the further right, with younger voters favoring a strong, expansionist security policy.

Conclusion

The settler movement, emboldened by its political influence and U.S. support, is pursuing an agenda of territorial expansion in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, and Syria. While the movement faces domestic opposition from a diminished peace camp and international criticism, its momentum appears sustained by the current political alignment and the ongoing regional conflicts. The situation remains fluid, with the potential for further escalation as Israel continues military operations and settlement construction.

Vocabulary Learning

ascendancy
The state of being in a position of power or influence over others.處於權力或影響力地位的狀態。
Example:She attributed the far right's ascendancy to Netanyahu's need for coalition partners to avoid his corruption trial.
emboldened
To give someone the courage or confidence to do something.給予某人勇氣或信心去做某事。
Example:The settler movement, emboldened by its political influence and U.S. support, is pursuing an agenda of territorial expansion.
fringe element
A group or part of a society that is considered extreme or outside the mainstream.被視為極端或主流之外的群體或部分。
Example:The settler movement, once considered a fringe element, now holds key positions in the coalition government.
impunity
Exemption from punishment or freedom from the injurious consequences of an action.免除懲罰或不受行動有害後果影響的自由。
Example:Palestinian officials described Israel as acting with impunity, enabled by U.S. support.
political realignment
A significant shift in the political structure, alliances, or ideologies of a country or group.國家或群體政治結構、聯盟或意識形態的重大轉變。
Example:This political realignment followed the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas.

Sentence Learning

The settler movement, once considered a fringe element, now holds key positions in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Main clause: 'The settler movement now holds key positions'. Embedded reduced relative clause: 'once considered a fringe element' (past participle phrase modifying 'movement'). Appositive list: 'including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir' (elaborates 'key positions').主要子句：「The settler movement now holds key positions」。嵌入縮減關係子句：「once considered a fringe element」（過去分詞短語修飾「movement」）。同位語列舉：「including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir」（闡明「key positions」）。
The subsequent war has left over 70,000 Palestinians dead, according to reports, and the Israeli military controls 53% of the Gaza Strip under the current ceasefire terms.
Compound sentence with two independent clauses joined by 'and'. First clause: 'The subsequent war has left over 70,000 Palestinians dead' (resultative construction with object complement 'dead'). Parenthetical: 'according to reports'. Second clause: 'the Israeli military controls 53% of the Gaza Strip under the current ceasefire terms' (prepositional phrase 'under...terms' as adverbial).並列句，由「and」連接兩個獨立子句。第一個子句：「The subsequent war has left over 70,000 Palestinians dead」（結果結構，帶有受詞補語「dead」）。插入語：「according to reports」。第二個子句：「the Israeli military controls 53% of the Gaza Strip under the current ceasefire terms」（介詞短語「under...terms」作狀語）。
In southern Lebanon, Israel has established a security zone extending 5 to 10 kilometers into Lebanese territory, preventing the return of residents from 55 villages.
Main clause: 'Israel has established a security zone'. Present participle phrase 'extending 5 to 10 kilometers into Lebanese territory' acts as reduced relative clause modifying 'security zone'. Another present participle phrase 'preventing the return of residents from 55 villages' functions as a resultative adverbial.主要子句：「Israel has established a security zone」。現在分詞短語「extending 5 to 10 kilometers into Lebanese territory」作為縮減關係子句修飾「security zone」。另一個現在分詞短語「preventing the return of residents from 55 villages」用作結果狀語。
She attributed the far right's ascendancy to Netanyahu's need for coalition partners to avoid his corruption trial, combined with the trauma of October 7.
Main clause: 'She attributed the far right's ascendancy to Netanyahu's need'. Infinitive phrase 'to avoid his corruption trial' expresses purpose modifying 'need'. Past participle phrase 'combined with the trauma of October 7' acts as an adjectival modifier for the entire noun phrase 'Netanyahu's need...trial'.主要子句：「She attributed the far right's ascendancy to Netanyahu's need」。不定式短語「to avoid his corruption trial」表達目的，修飾「need」。過去分詞短語「combined with the trauma of October 7」作為形容詞修飾語，修飾整個名詞短語「Netanyahu's need...trial」。
While the movement faces domestic opposition from a diminished peace camp and international criticism, its momentum appears sustained by the current political alignment and the ongoing regional conflicts.
Concessive subordinate clause: 'While the movement faces domestic opposition from a diminished peace camp and international criticism' (introduced by 'While', containing complex noun phrases). Main clause: 'its momentum appears sustained by the current political alignment and the ongoing regional conflicts' (passive construction with 'appears' as linking verb and past participle 'sustained' as subject complement, followed by agentive 'by' phrase).讓步從句：「While the movement faces domestic opposition from a diminished peace camp and international criticism」（由「While」引導，包含複雜名詞短語）。主要子句：「its momentum appears sustained by the current political alignment and the ongoing regional conflicts」（被動結構，「appears」為連綴動詞，過去分詞「sustained」作主詞補語，後接「by」引導的施動者短語）。