Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Kac declared on Tuesday that the Israeli army will never completely withdraw from the Gaza Strip for security reasons. According to him, a civil-military army unit will be established in the Palestinian enclave. TASR informs about it according to a Reuters report.
- Israeli Minister Kac does not support a complete withdrawal from Gaza.
- The Israeli army will establish civil-military units in Gaza.
- Netanyahu rules out the restoration of Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip.
- The construction of housing units on the West Bank is planned.
- Settlements and security remain a key issue in Israeli politics.
Under the ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, effective since October, the Israeli army is to gradually withdraw completely from the coastal Palestinian enclave and the Jewish state will not restore civilian settlements in the area.
Kac refuses to fully withdraw
“We are deep inside Gaza and we will never leave all of Gaza. Something like this will never happen. We are there to protect and prevent what happened,” Kac said, referring to the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the Gaza war.
According to Reuters, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office declined to comment on the defense minister’s statements.
“When the time comes, in the north of Gaza … we will build Nahal troops in place of the (Israeli) communities that were displaced. We will do it in the right way at the right time,” Kac said in reference to the Israeli army troops. According to Reuters, he was apparently referring to Israel’s withdrawal from the Jewish settlements in Gaza in 2005. “We don’t trust anyone else to be able to protect our citizens,” the minister said, adding that, according to him, a presence is also needed in Lebanon and Syria.
Controversies about Jewish settlements
Netanyahu has repeatedly ruled out reestablishing settlements in the Gaza Strip during the two-year war in the Palestinian enclave. However, according to Reuters, some members of his coalition are seeking to reoccupy Gaza.
Nahal units in the Israeli Armed Forces are for civilians who are interested in joining the military. They include a year of pre-military training and volunteer programs. These units had a historical role in the creation of Israeli communities.
New housing units on the West Bank
Parliamentary elections will be held in Israel next year, and settlements are expected to be a key issue.
On Tuesday, the Minister of Defense spoke at a ceremony in the occupied West Bank, where he announced the construction of 1,200 housing units in the Israeli settlement of Beit El. These units are being built on the site of an Israeli military base that is being demolished. “Netanyahu’s government is a government of settlements… it seeks action. If we can get sovereignty, we will achieve sovereignty… We are in an era of practical sovereignty,” Kac declared of the West Bank. He added that there are opportunities that haven’t existed before.
