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More than 700 right-wing activists set up an encampment called 'Pioneers of Gaza' in a forest overlooking northern Gaza on October 17, 2026, demanding the government move the settlement into the Strip, with at least one government minister reportedly joining the group. The move reflects continued pressure from Israel's settler movement to establish a permanent Israeli presence in Gaza despite the absence of government authorization, adding a new flashpoint to debates over Gaza's postwar future.