News- Middle East: The Israeli ministry of settlement affairs has announced a new plan for the expansion of settlements in the vicinity of the Nitzana Crossing, located near the frontier with Egypt.

According to details published on the ministry’s official website, the initiative seeks to “bolster the Jewish presence” in the border area, which Israeli officials characterize as part of their efforts to purportedly reduce smuggling and improve security.

Analysts, however, assert that the plan aligns with a wider policy aimed at increasing settlement activities under the guise of security, effectively transforming sensitive border regions into permanent settlement blocs.

Earlier this month, minister of settlement affairs Orit Strock conducted a tour of the area alongside the head of the Ramat Negev regional council and representatives from the ministries of settlement affairs and agriculture.

It has been reported that their discussions primarily revolved around population expansion and development programs meant to enhance Israeli presence along the border, which officials have described as a measure against “crime and smuggling.”

Observers maintain that this decision embodies a sustained strategy of “soft Judaisation,” leveraging settlement expansion to entrench Israeli control over its southern boundary.

They caution that the plan may alter the demographic and security dynamics of the border area by creating what officials have referred to as a “human wall.”

Source: Press TV