JAKARTA - Israeli Defense Minister (Menhan) Katz vowed that the Israeli army would remain in Gaza. He promised his military would set up forward posts in the north of the Palestinian territory.
Katz said this while visiting an illegal Israeli settlement in Beit El, West Bank. A recording of his statement was published by the Israeli media, Ynet.
"We are deep inside Gaza, and we will never leave Gaza - there will be no such thing," Katz said, quoted by AFP, Tuesday, December 23.
"We are there to protect, to prevent what happened (so that it does not happen again)," he added.
Katz's statement comes amid the still-valid ceasefire agreement in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, which was mediated by the US.
The peace mediators in Gaza urged the ceasefire agreement to enter the second phase.
In the second phase, the Israeli military should withdraw from Gaza. However, Katz actually opened the possibility of expanding the army's posts, military settlements and farms built by the Israeli military in Nahal.
"When the time comes, God willing, we will establish Nahal outposts in northern Gaza in place of the communities that have been relocated," Katz said.
"We will do this in the right way and at the right time," he continued.
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