Israeli Defence Minister Vows Permanent Military Presence in Gaza

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz told a press conference on December 23, 2025, that Israeli forces would remain inside the Gaza Strip and would never fully withdraw, asserting such a presence was necessary to protect Israelis and prevent a repeat of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. Speaking in the West Bank settlement of Beit El, Katz described plans for enduring deployments that include the formation of a civilian military unit and the positioning of Nahal infantry forces in northern Gaza.

“We are located deep inside Gaza and we will never leave all of Gaza. There will never be such a thing. We are there to protect, to prevent what happened,” Katz said, framing the decision as a security imperative rooted in the trauma of the 2023 assault. He said the Israeli footprint would include a new mixed civilian military unit inside the coastal enclave and that in parts of northern Gaza, “When the time comes, in northern Gaza ... we will build Nahal units instead of the (Israeli) communities that were displaced.” Katz linked those plans to settlements that were evacuated after the Israeli withdrawal in 2005.

Katz further emphasized a wider regional posture, saying “We don’t trust anybody else to protect our citizens,” and adding that Israeli forces needed to be present beyond Gaza, “to be also in Lebanon and Syria.” The language underlines a security doctrine that views prolonged forward deployment as central to Israeli deterrence across several fronts.

The announcement sits uneasily with a US backed peace plan signed by Israel and Hamas in October that envisages a gradual and complete Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza and bars the re establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the territory. Katz’s description of permanent units and the insertion of Nahal formations appears to contradict the withdrawal envisaged by that plan, and prompted expressions of displeasure from US officials who sought further clarification.

Katz subsequently issued a statement in English saying Nahal units would be stationed in Gaza “only for security reasons,” an apparent attempt to temper immediate diplomatic fallout. The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined to comment on Katz’s remarks.

The minister’s vows are likely to deepen political and legal disputes over the Gaza truce architecture and the enclave’s future governance. A persistent Israeli military presence inside Gaza would complicate prospects for restoring local Palestinian administration and could draw sustained international scrutiny over the nature and legality of occupation policies under international law. It would also increase friction with regional actors and with international partners that have sought a negotiated exit from military operations.

For residents of Gaza, already battered by successive conflicts, the prospect of long term foreign troop presence raises urgent questions about movement, reconstruction, and civil life. For Washington and other mediators, Katz’s statements place the United States in a delicate position, balancing alliance security assurances with a plan that had promised Israeli withdrawal. The coming days will test whether the apparent divergence is political rhetoric, a shift in policy, or the precursor to operational steps on the ground.