(Israel, 26th) Israeli Defense Minister Katz reiterated on the 25th that Israel will "never" completely withdraw from the Palestinian Gaza Strip and that, at "some point in the future," Jewish settlers will be allowed to live in the northern Gaza Strip.
The Times of Israel quoted Katz as saying that even if the conflict enters the second phase of ceasefire and the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) is disarmed, Israel will still retain a "security zone" inside the Gaza Strip to ensure Israel's security.
Additionally, Katz said Israel will effectively annex the West Bank by establishing more Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
The issue of Jewish settlements is one of the main obstacles in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. In the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel occupied parts of East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and built Jewish settlements there, which prompted strong opposition from the Palestinian side. According to a population data report released by the Israeli government at the end of last year, about 510,000 Israelis live in Jewish settlements in the West Bank, which were built in violation of international law.
