Defense Minister Israel Katz has walked back his Tuesday morning statement claiming that Israel plans to settle northern Gaza and has no intention of withdrawing from territory under Israeli control in either Gaza or Syria.
"The defense minister’s remarks regarding the integration of Nahal nuclei in northern Gaza were made strictly in security-related contexts," Katz's office said in a Tuesday afternoon statement. "The government has no intention of establishing settlements in the Gaza Strip.”
The statement came after Katz told Reuters on Tuesday afternoon that Israel has "no intention of establishing settlements in Gaza" in a statement only released in English.
"The more Israel provokes, the less the Arab countries want to work with them," US officials told The Jerusalem Post.
"The United States remains fully committed to President Trump’s 20-Point Peace Plan, which was agreed to by all parties and endorsed by the international community," the officials went on. "The plan envisions a phased approach to security, governance, and reconstruction in Gaza. We expect all parties to adhere to the commitments they made under the 20-Point Plan."
The Post reached out to Katz's office for comment.
Establishing Nahal nuclei in place of evacuated communities
“We will not move a millimeter from Syria, and in northern Gaza we will establish Nahal nuclei in place of the communities that were evacuated," Katz said in his Tuesday morning statement, speaking at a conference in the Jewish settlement of Beit El, in the West Bank.
Nahal nucleus programs, run under the auspices of the IDF's Nahal Brigade, focus on combining community service with military service, usually in areas the Israeli government seeks to encourage settlement. These programs typically focus on supporting local production in their communities, such as agriculture.
“We are in a period of practical sovereignty,” Katz continued. “There are opportunities here that have not existed for a very long time.”
The Nahala movement praised Katz's remarks, calling them a "correct and meaningful step toward restoring a Jewish presence in Gaza."
Shir Perets, Anna Barsky, and Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.