Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that the Israeli military will not fully withdraw from the Gaza Strip and announced plans to establish Nahal brigade outposts inside the enclave.
Katz made the remarks despite a United States-backed agreement struck in October between Israel and Hamas that calls for a full Israeli military withdrawal and prohibits the return of Israeli civilian settlements to Gaza. "We are located deep inside Gaza, and we will never leave all of Gaza," Katz said. "We are there to protect."
"In due course, we will establish Nahal [an Israeli infantry brigade] outposts in northern Gaza in place of the settlements that were uprooted," Katz said, according to Israeli media.
Hours later Katz issued a statement in English to Reuters saying that Nahal units would be stationed in Gaza "only for security reasons." Israeli media reported that some US officials were displeased by Katz's initial comments and sought clarification.
Nahal units are military formations that combine civilian service with army enlistment and have historically been involved in founding Israeli communities. Katz made his remarks at a ceremony in the occupied West Bank marking government approval for 1,200 housing units in the Beit El settlement.
Settlement Policy and Political Context
Addressing wider settlement policy in the West Bank, Katz said: "Netanyahu's government is a settlements government … it strives for action. If we can get sovereignty, we will bring about sovereignty. We are in the practical sovereignty era." He added that current political conditions presented opportunities not seen for some time.
Israel is expected to enter an election year in 2026, and settlement expansion remains a major political issue. Far-right and ultranationalist members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition have repeatedly said they favor reoccupying Gaza and expanding settlements in the West Bank.
International Law And Human Cost
Under widely accepted interpretations of international law, Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are illegal; the transfer of an occupying power's civilian population into occupied territory is considered a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Violence has continued across the West Bank and in Gaza despite the ceasefire. Palestinian officials and the Palestinian Ministry of Health have reported differing casualty figures: some Palestinian authorities say more than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed, about 11,000 wounded and more than 21,000 arrested in the recent period, while the Ministry of Health reported that since the start of the war on October 7, 2023, 70,942 Palestinians have been killed and 171,195 wounded. Since a ceasefire began on October 11, the ministry reported at least 406 deaths and 1,118 injuries.
This story reflects statements by a senior Israeli official, reported Israeli media coverage and figures released by Palestinian authorities. The situation remains fluid and figures are subject to verification by independent sources.
