An Israeli newspaper has revealed that the Israeli occupation government is preparing a comprehensive plan to strengthen the eastern border of the occupied territories as part of a new security strategy developed in the aftermath of the 7 October attacks.
According to Israel Hayom, the eastern frontier is the occupation state’s longest border, stretching approximately 300 kilometres. Despite its size, the area is home to only around 40,000 settlers, while much of the border remains without continuous physical barriers.
Although the region had long been regarded as relatively quiet, the expansion of military fronts following the 7 October attacks has prompted decision makers in occupied Jerusalem to view it as one of the most strategically vulnerable areas in the future due to its open geography, distance from current battlefronts, and low population density.
Comprehensive Plan to Transform the Border Region
The newspaper reported that, for the first time, the occupation government is preparing a broad plan aimed at fundamentally reshaping the region.
In May 2025, the Israeli political and security cabinet approved an initial pilot project worth approximately 80 million shekels. Government ministries are now examining a far larger plan valued in the billions of shekels, designed to attract thousands of new settler families and transform the area into a densely populated civilian belt extending along the border with Jordan.
According to the report, the initiative has been led by Israeli Minister of National Missions Orit Strock, who began promoting the proposal only months after the war began in coordination with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the occupation’s security establishment, and the National Security Council.
Following months of preparatory work, Netanyahu tasked Strock with formally developing the plan.
She stated:
“Everyone is focused on Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, but the eastern border is Israel’s longest border. It is relatively quiet, which makes it easy to overlook. That is precisely why we need to think ahead.”
Settlements as a Security Strategy
The report states that the pilot project approved in 2025 is now being expanded into a significantly larger programme in both scope and funding. It is expected to be presented to the occupation government for approval in the near future, with calls for it to be placed on the agenda of the next cabinet meeting.
The proposal is built around the concept that civilian settlement is inseparable from security, reflecting a doctrine dating back to the founding generation of the occupation state.
According to Strock, one of the primary lessons drawn from the events of 7 October is that fences, surveillance systems and military forces alone are insufficient.
She said:
“We cannot wait until the threat materialises. We have learned that defensive layers must be established in advance, not only militarily, but also through settlements, agriculture, local communities and young people living in the area.”
Civilian and Security Support
Israel Hayom reported that the proposal has received backing from both civilian organisations and security officials.
Ori Sapir, Deputy Director of the organisation Hashomer Hachadash (The New Guard), argued that the war reinforced the need to strengthen this exposed region.
He claimed that Iran is continually searching for new methods of confronting Israel, stating:
“They are creating new proxies. If they choose to act from the east, it will be through this border.”
Sapir also argued that it is structurally impossible for the Israeli military to station a soldier every few metres along the border, insisting that the solution lies in establishing a large civilian population that lives and works in the region as part of the broader defence system.
He also referred to the historic “Allon Plan” and the territorial defence doctrine proposed by Yigal Allon during the 1960s, which advocated settling border regions as a security measure. According to the report, that concept has regained prominence following the shock of the war.
Settler Expansion Through Youth Centres and Agricultural Outposts
Avner Goldschmidt, Director of the Eastern Axis Project at Israel’s Ministry of Settlement, outlined the three main components of the current pilot programme.
These include strengthening existing settlements through dedicated neighbourhoods for young residents and reception centres designed to help new families integrate into local communities.
The plan also proposes establishing around 30 national service centres along the border, including pre military academies, Nahal programme facilities, student villages, and national service organisations.
In addition, the proposal calls for the creation of agricultural security farms, some of which would be located near former military positions abandoned in previous years.
According to the plan, placing a single family on each farm would allow control over extensive areas while maintaining continuous observation and a permanent civilian presence that supports the work of the occupation’s security forces.
Support Beyond the Political Right
The newspaper noted that the project has also gained support from figures outside Israel’s right wing political camp.
Idan Greenbaum, head of the Jordan Valley Regional Council, acknowledged that he and Minister Strock hold significant ideological differences.
He stated:
“We were not raised in the same religious school, and we probably disagree on many issues. Nevertheless, we meet here for one reason, the desire to develop the State of Israel.”
Greenbaum credited Strock with identifying the issue and pushing the government to act, arguing that the events of 7 October demonstrated that assuming permanent calm along the border is no longer realistic.
He also described the project as a major development opportunity, saying:
“If you provide people with affordable housing, education, healthcare and infrastructure, they will come.”
Model Could Be Expanded to Other Regions
Strock stated that she is already looking beyond the eastern border project, explaining that if the pilot programme proves successful, the same model could be implemented elsewhere.
She said:
“Where there are no settlements, there is no governance, no sovereignty and no security. I hope we will be able to establish similar farms in the Negev and the Galilee, both of which are in need of this presence.”
