Jerusalem [Israel], December 24: Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has spoken of establishing settlements in northern Gaza, contradicting a peace plan by US President Donald Trump that envisages a phased Israeli troop withdrawal from the Palestinian territory.
Speaking at an event in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, Katz said that when the time comes, Israel would establish outposts in the north of the Gaza Strip, at the sites of Israeli settlements evacuated 20 years ago.
This would be done "in the right way and at the right time," he said. Katz, a member of the right-wing Likud party, also spoke of a "major revolution" in the West Bank, where Israel has recently approved the creation of additional settlements.
Israeli opposition politician and former army chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot criticized Katz for what he called "another day in which he is acting against broad national consensus" at a critical stage for Israel's national security.
In a post on Platform X, Eisenkot went on to write: "While the government votes with one hand in favor of the Trump plan, with the other it sells myths about isolated settlements in the Gaza Strip." He charged that a government guided by narrow party political interests is spreading irresponsible statements that only damage Israel's reputation in the world.
Israeli settlements in territories claimed by Palestinians as part of a future state are widely regarded by the international community as illegal and as a major obstacle to a negotiated peace settlement. (DPA)
Source: Qatar Tribune
