Israeli finance minister calls for settlements near Gaza

Israeli finance minister calls for settlements near Gaza Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Sunday called for the construction of three new Israeli settlements along the northern fence of Gaza. The statement comes as Israeli military attacks continue in Gaza and the occupied West Bank despite a ceasefire agreement announced in October. Smotrich, who heads Israel's Settlements Administration, urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to approve the plan in a post on…