Key facts
- Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the destruction in Gaza gives him a "good feeling."
- Katz described the destruction as a result of a "deliberate policy" to eliminate threats.
- He announced plans to establish three military-linked settlement outposts in northern Gaza.
- These outposts are intended for sites that existed before Israel's 2005 withdrawal from Gaza.
- Katz stated that the army is now inside Gaza, with terrorists outside and houses destroyed.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has stated that the widespread destruction in Gaza provides him with a "good feeling." During a tour of northern Gaza, broadcast by Israel's Channel 14, Katz described the devastation as the result of a "deliberate policy" aimed at eliminating threats. He contrasted this approach with previous strategies of temporary military raids, noting that the army is now permanently stationed in Gaza, with houses destroyed.
Katz also announced plans to establish three military-linked settlement outposts in northern Gaza, at sites that existed prior to Israel's 2005 withdrawal. These Nahal outposts are military-linked settlement groups historically used to establish new settlements before becoming civilian communities. Katz claimed this move is necessary for "security" reasons and would strengthen Israeli control and the defense of nearby communities.
According to Channel 14, Israeli army commanders presented data indicating that 65 percent of the Gaza Strip has been occupied. Reports indicate that Israel's actions in Gaza since October 2023 have resulted in over 73,000 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and more than 173,000 wounded, reducing most of the enclave to ruins and displacing its population.