Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz Announces New Gaza Settlement Plans

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz visited the devastated northern Gaza Strip and said the destruction felt “good, thank God,” describing it as the result of a "deliberate policy." During the visit he announced the creation of three new settlement outposts – called Nahal‑outposts – on sites where Israeli communities were dismantled in 2005.

Katz said the settlements will be established in the north of Gaza, that they will initially be manned by soldiers and later become civilian communities, and that the plan still requires final approval from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The announcement follows recent budget allocations for additional settlements in the occupied West Bank. The moves are regarded as illegal under international law and have prompted plans for a large demonstration by pro‑settlement groups.

The proposal reflects the ultra‑right‑wing coalition’s broader push to expand Israeli settlements in territories captured in 1967, a policy that has drawn widespread diplomatic criticism.