Israel's Katz backtracks on Gaza settlements remarks as Israeli far-right seeks occupation

Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz walked back on his apparent endorsement for the return of Israeli settlements to Gaza, after his comments triggered alarm over a renewed push to entrench Israeli control over the enclave, in breach of the US-brokered ceasefire deal with Hamas.

Katz issued a statement insisting that Israel had "no intention of establishing settlements in the Gaza Strip", following earlier remarks suggesting Israeli forces would never fully withdraw from the territory.

Israel previously operated settlements in Gaza, but dismantled them in 2005, leading to clashes with settlers.

Speaking at the illegal Israeli settlement of Beit El in the occupied West Bank, Katz said Israel was "deep inside Gaza" and would "never leave all of Gaza", language that raised fears of de facto reoccupation and annexation of the Palestinian territory.

He went on to say that Israel would one day deploy Nahal units in northern Gaza "instead of the communities that were displaced", referring to military-linked units historically used as precursors to permanent settlements.

After Israeli media interpreted the comments as signalling a future resettlement of Gaza, Katz sought to limit the fallout, saying the reference to Nahal units was "made in a security context only".

Under the US-backed ceasefire agreement signed by Israel and Hamas in October, Israeli forces are allowed to establish a temporary Israeli "security perimeter", but are required to eventually fully withdraw from Gaza and are barred from re-establishing civilian settlements.

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said Katz's remarks constituted "a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement" and directly contradicted the US plan.

Settler push in West Bank and Gaza

Katz's comments came as Israel continues to expand illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank. At the same Beit El event, he announced plans for 1,200 new housing units, describing Netanyahu’s government as a "settlements government" operating in an era of what he called "practical sovereignty".

The remarks have taken on added significance amid a renewed drive by Israel's settler movement to return to Gaza. In November 2024, during Israel's invasion of the enclave, extremist settler leader Daniella Weiss was allowed by Israeli soldiers to survey potential settlement sites in northern Gaza, including the Netzarim area, despite military orders barring civilian entry.

Weiss, a central figure in the settler movement, has openly called for Palestinians to leave Gaza so it can be resettled exclusively by Jews. She was sanctioned by the UK earlier this year for promoting violence and intimidation against Palestinians.

Last week, dozens of Israeli settlers crossed into northern Gaza near Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun, breaching the boundary fence in an explicit attempt to seize Palestinian land that had previously hosted illegal settlements before Israel’s 2005 disengagement.

Israeli media footage showed settlers erecting tents and calling on the government to approve new settlements "immediately". In one video, a settler declared: "Take territory, occupy and settle."

Although the Israeli army later said it had removed the group, the incursion took place inside an area of northern Gaza that remains under full Israeli control, as Israel continues to block the return of displaced Palestinians to the north and pushes plans to open the Rafah crossing only for Palestinians to exit.

Pressure ahead of Trump meeting

Katz's walk-back comes ahead of a planned meeting next week between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump, amid mounting doubts over the future of the ceasefire.

While the truce secured the release of remaining living Israeli captives in October, there has been little progress on its wider provisions, including Israeli withdrawal, the establishment of a transitional authority in Gaza and the deployment of an international force.

Israeli attacks have also continued, killing at least 410 Palestinians since the deal came into effect. 

Netanyahu has publicly ruled out the formal return of settlements to Gaza, but members of his governing coalition have repeatedly advocated reoccupation.

With Israel heading into an election year in 2026, settlers form a key part of the Likud Party's voter base.