Contrary to the repeated assurances of the Israeli Prime Minister, and in opposition to the American peace plan, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said today that the Israeli army for security reasons will never be fully withdrawn from and that a civil-military military unit will be established in the Palestinian enclave.
The US peace plan signed by Israel and Hamas in October stipulates that the Israeli military will gradually withdraw completely from the coastal enclave and Israel will not resettle settlements in the coastal area.
“We are deep inside Gaza and we will never leave the whole of Gaza. This will never happen. We are there to protect, to prevent what happened,” Katz said referring to the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas in Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office declined to comment.
Speech at an event for a new settlement in the West Bank
The Israeli minister was speaking at a ceremony in the Israeli-occupied West Bank announcing the creation of 1,200 housing units in the Israeli settlement of Beit El. The housing units are being built on the site of a closing Israeli military base.
Referring to Israeli army units, Katz said: “When the time comes, in northern Gaza … we will build Nahal units in place of the (Israeli) communities that were displaced. We will do it in the right way at the right time.”
“We don’t trust anyone else to protect our citizens,” he stressed, pointing to what he said is also necessary to be in Lebanon and Syria.
Katz’s reference to displaced communities appears to refer to Israel’s withdrawal of all Jewish settlements from the Gaza Strip in 2005.
Netanyahu has repeatedly ruled out the possibility of re-establishing settlements in Gaza throughout the two-year war in the Gaza Strip, although some far-right, ultra-nationalist members of his governing coalition are seeking to retake Gaza.
Nahal units in the Israeli armed forces are for civilians interested in enlisting in the military, which involves a year of pre-military training and volunteer programs. These units have played a historic role in the creation of Israeli communities.
Israel is heading into an election year in 2026 and the issue of settlements is expected to be a key issue.
Speaking about the West Bank, Katz said: “The Netanyahu government is a settlement government… it seeks action. If we can gain sovereignty, we will bring about sovereignty… We are in the age of practical sovereignty,” he said. “There are opportunities here that haven’t existed in a long time.”
