Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has announced plans to establish three «Nahal» outposts in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. At the same time, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced 1.3 billion shekels in funding for dozens of settlements in the occupied West Bank. These decisions and statements by officials were reported by The Guardian.
Briefly about the main points
- Katz wants to set up three «Nahal» outposts in northern Gaza.
- Smotrich announced 1.3 billion shekels for settlements in the West Bank.
- The military commander stated that Israel controls 65% of Gaza.
- This figure exceeds the 53% stipulated in the ceasefire agreement.
- In a new report, the UN has described settler violence as part of state policy.
Plans for outposts in Gaza
Israel Katz told Channel 14 that he intends to establish three «Nahal» outposts on the sites of former Israeli settlements in the north Gases. He also referred to them as military organisations.
The organisation’s founder, Kerem Navot Dror Etkes, which monitors land seizures in the West Bank, explained that such outposts are not intended for long-term military use. According to him, the military phase is intended to prepare the ground for subsequent civilian settlement; dozens of settlements in the West Bank have previously been established using a similar pattern.
Funds for development on the West Bank
Smotrych announced 1.3 billion shekels, or around £318 million, for the expansion of construction in dozens of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. As writes According to The Guardian, the Cabinet allocated these funds last month, but the decision was not made public due to anticipated objections from the US.
A representative of the Israeli human rights organisation Peace Now Hagit Ofran She said that equipment was already in operation in at least seven settlements, and that the plan was to have people move in before the elections scheduled for 27 October. She described this as a pre-election rush aimed at creating «facts on the ground».
Commander of the Israeli forces in the West Bank, Major General Avi Blut During a meeting with residents of the outposts, he stated that he valued their work and regarded them as partners of the military in the field of security. The discussion also touched on outposts that are illegal under Israeli law.
UN report on settler violence
Management UN The UN Human Rights Office for Palestine stated in this week’s report that settler violence constitutes «state violence». The document states that Israel has used settlers to advance its annexation efforts, and that systemic impunity has contributed to the spread of attacks.
Sources also note that dozens of figures from Israel’s political and military establishment, including former prime ministers and heads of security services, have threatened legal action against the government over its support for Jewish terrorism in the West Bank.
Statement by the military regarding control of the territory
Deputy Chief of the Israeli General Staff, Major General Tamir Yadai During a public briefing, Kats stated that Israeli forces control 65% of the Gaza Strip. This is more than the 53% which, according to the publication, had been agreed as part of the ceasefire brokered by the US President Donald Trump.
Yadai also claimed that over 70,000 «terrorists» had been killed. *The Guardian* pointed out that the Palestinian health authorities’ database contains records of over 73,000 fatalities, identified by name and by identity documents issued by Israel. It lists over 21,000 children, more than 10,000 women under the age of 60 and over 5,000 elderly people.
