Defence Minister Israel Katz has revealed plans to establish illegal settlements north of Gaza, amid growing Israeli ceasefire violations.
During a ceremony marking the construction of 1,200 housing units in a West Bank settlement on Tuesday, Katz said that “when the time is right”, Israel will create what he described as “Nahal” settlements in north Gaza.
Nahals refer to settlements created by Israeli soldiers. According to international law, Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are unlawful.
“We are deep inside Gaza, and we will never leave all of Gaza – there will be no such thing,” the defence minister said.
“We are here to protect and prevent what happened,” he added, referencing the 21 settlements that existed in Gaza before Israel withdrew from the territory in 2005.
He also stressed that Israeli troops remain inside Lebanon, Syria and the occupied West Bank, claiming that Israel was creating a barrier between “jihadist enemies and our communities and residents”.
“We don’t trust anyone, and no one will come and tell us – there will be no agreement, we won’t move a millimetre in Syria.”
Several far-right settler organisations have celebrated Katz’s announcement, including the Nachala Settlement Movement and the Yesha Council.
The council, an umbrella organisation for settlements, said in a statement that the move will “make it clear to the enemy that for the massacre of the 7 October, he is paying with land and in perpetuity”.
Meanwhile, Nachala said that there are currently over 1,000 families who are “ready to actually settle in Gaza”, adding that Israelis want “Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip”.
“The public is ready, the families are ready, and the area is ready. Now a decision and immediate progress on the ground are required,” it added.
‘Deepening and unprecedented humanitarian crisis’
Seventy-five days into the truce deal, Israel has killed over 411 Palestinians and left more than 1,112 wounded.
The Government Media Office in Gaza has estimated at least 875 violations committed by its army since the start of the ceasefire in October.
In addition to repeated attacks, Israel has also continued to evade obligations to allow the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
Only 17,819 trucks entered the blockaded territory out of the 43,800 that were stripulated to be delivered and distributed to its population of two million.
A severe shortage in adequate shelter, medicine, food, fuel and other necessities has compounded the already dire situation in the strip.
The media office warned of a “deepening and unprecedented humanitarian crisis” with regards to the lack in shelter amid freezing temperatures and heavy rainfall.
Moreover, the director general of pharmacy at the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza warned that more than 62 percent of the medicine needed to serve about a quarter of a million people who frequent primary healthcare facilicities is unavailable.
