Netanyahu denies request that annual Elul prayer be held in Gaza Strip, Minister Strock says

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied a request from National Missions Minister Orit Strock to hold the annual Elul rabbinical prayers in the Gaza Strip. Strock announced the denial at a prayer event near Gaza, marking 21 years since synagogues were burned in Gush Katif. The request, made two weeks prior, was supported by a letter from 20 prominent religious Zionist rabbis, emphasizing Elul as a day of fasting and prayer to "mark the suffering in the Land of Israel." Strock stated, "We will not forget and cannot forget that Gaza is ours," asserting that a new Gaza would be built for the people of Israel. The event was attended by Gush Katif rabbis and security cabinet members.