Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, announced today (Tuesday, December 23) that the country will never fully withdraw from the Gaza Strip.
Katz added, “We are deeply present in Gaza and will never leave. That will not happen. We are here to defend and to prevent a repeat of what occurred.”
He stated that Israel plans to establish new military–agricultural bases in northern Gaza, instead of the settlements it withdrew from in 2005.
Speaking at a ceremony marking the construction of 1,200 new housing units in the settlement of Beit El, located in the West Bank, Katz said, “We will do this properly and at the right time. Some will protest, but it is we who bear responsibility.”
The United States had previously opposed Israel’s plan to annex parts of the West Bank, noting that settlement expansion in the area violates international law.
Katz emphasized that Israel is a “settler state” and now has an “opportunity” it has not had for years.
It is worth noting that under the Gaza ceasefire agreement, Israel is supposed to gradually withdraw its forces from the strip, while Hamas must be fully disarmed.
