Israeli defence minister vows military to remain in Gaza

Under a US-backed peace plan, Israel is to fully withdraw from Gaza and not restore settlements ever

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that Israel’s military would never fully withdraw from the Gaza Strip for security reasons and that a civilian-military army unit would be established in the Palestinian enclave.

Under a US-backed peace plan signed by both Israel and Hamas in October, the Israeli military is meant to gradually withdraw completely from the coastal enclave, and Israel would not re-establish civilian settlements there.

“We are located deep inside Gaza and we will never leave all of Gaza. There will never be such a thing. We are there to protect, to prevent what happened,” Katz said in a speech, referring to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 raid on Israel.

The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined to comment.

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Referring to units of the Israeli military, Katz said: “When the time comes, in northern Gaza ... we will build Nahal units instead of the (Israeli) communities that were displaced. We will do so in the right way at the right time.”

“We don’t trust anybody else to protect our citizens,” he added, pointing to what he said was also a need to be present in Lebanon and Syria.

Katz’s mention of displaced communities appeared to refer to Israel’s withdrawal of all Jewish settlements from Gaza in 2005. Netanyahu has repeatedly ruled out the possibility of re-establishing settlements in Gaza throughout the two-year war, although some ultra-nationalist members of his coalition have called for reoccupation.

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Nahal units in Israel’s armed forces are for civilians interested in enlisting in the military and include a year of pre-military preparatory and volunteer programmes. These units have historically played a role in establishing Israeli communities.

Israel is heading into an election year in 2026, and the issue of settlements is expected to be a key topic.

Katz was speaking at a ceremony in the Israeli-occupied West Bank announcing the establishment of 1,200 housing units in the Israeli settlement of Beit El. The units are being built on the site of an Israeli military base that is being shut down.

Speaking about 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.”