According to All Jazeera English, Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, has declared that the Israeli military “will never leave Gaza,” signalling a hardening of Israel’s position amid the protracted war in the Palestinian enclave.

The statement, which has already sparked controversy, was accompanied by the announcement of plans to establish a new “civilian-military army unit” intended to replace Israeli settlements dismantled nearly two decades ago.

Speaking on Israel’s long-term strategy in Gaza, Katz said the proposed unit would combine civilian and military elements, marking a significant shift in Israel’s post-war vision for the territory. The plan, according to him, is aimed at consolidating Israeli control and ensuring what he described as lasting security, following months of intense fighting with Hamas.

Illegal Israeli settlements in Gaza were evacuated in 2005 under the disengagement plan of then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, a move that ended permanent Israeli civilian presence in the territory. Katz’s comments suggest a departure from that policy and raise the prospect of renewed Israeli structures on the ground, albeit under a different framework.

The defence minister’s remarks have drawn sharp reactions from Palestinians and international observers, many of whom see the declaration as undermining prospects for a negotiated resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Critics argue that any permanent Israeli military presence in Gaza would violate international law and further inflame tensions in the region.

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