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Israeli defence minister wants control over Gaza amid truce deal push

Israel Katz says the army plans to have full freedom of action in Gaza, similar to the occupation of the West Bank
Palestinians in northern Gaza run for cover after an Israeli strike hit a school on 30 May 2024 (AFP/Omar al-Qattaa)
Palestinians in northern Gaza run for cover after an Israeli strike hit a school on 30 May 2024 (AFP/Omar al-Qattaa)

Israel's defence minister has said the military plans to have indefinite control over Gaza even after "defeating Hamas", as indirect ceasefire talks reportedly move closer to a deal. 

In a post made on X on Tuesday, Israel Katz said his government would "have security control over Gaza with full freedom of action just as it did in Judea and Samaria", using the Israeli name for the occupied West Bank

"We will not allow a return to the reality of before 7 October," he added. 

His comments came as Israeli daily Ynet reported that the military plans to maintain a presence in areas it currently occupies to prevent displaced Palestinians from returning to their homes in northern Gaza.

The report said this meant that Israel was adopting the controversial "Generals' Plan", also known as the Eiland Plan, which would leave the area's security under Israeli military control.

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Human rights activists and experts have warned against the Israeli assault in northern Gaza, saying that it is "genocidal" and a "perversion of law".

Proposed and promoted by a group of senior Israeli army reservists, the scheme involves forcibly displacing the entire population of northern Gaza and then besieging the area, including blocking the entry of humanitarian supplies, to starve out anyone left. 

The plan's stated aim is to defeat Hamas in the north, but it views civilians who choose to stay as legitimate military targets. Since 5 October, northern Gaza has been subject to a brutal siege, barring all humanitarian aid from entering. 

Draft to lift Disengagement Law

Separately, Likud lawmaker Avichai Boaron tabled a bill on Monday that could pave the way for building settlements in Gaza. 

If passed, the proposed bill would allow Israelis to enter areas previously prohibited under the Disengagement Law, including the Gaza Strip and the northern West Bank.

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In 2005, the disengagement bill, initiated by then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, led to the eviction of settlements in Gaza and parts of the occupied West Bank. It regulated the withdrawal of Israelis and their asset claims in these areas. 

The new bill proposed by Boaron describes the events as "reminiscent of dark periods in the history of the Jewish people", adding that the draft law was prompted by the 7 October Hamas-led attacks. 

"During the Holocaust, areas were defined as 'Jewish-free' in laws that Jewish extremists considered antisemitic.

"Freedom of existence and full movement [for Jews] must be allowed in the Gaza Strip, as is the case in all areas of the land of Israel."

According to the draft law, the plan is to emulate measures implemented in the northern West Bank, where restrictions on the movement of Israelis were lifted and the illegal settlement of Homesh was established. 

"Lifting the restrictions on Gaza could open the door to the establishment of new settlement blocs inside the strip," it adds. 

Ceasefire talks progress 

Meanwhile, talks to secure a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas have been progressing, according to several reports.  

A Palestinian source told Middle East Eye on Monday that a "new dynamic" has emerged in the talks, bringing the agreement closer than ever.

The source denied reports in US and Israeli media that Hamas had conceded on its red lines, which include a permanent ceasefire, a full withdrawal of Israeli troops and the return of all displaced people to their homes.

On Tuesday, sources told Reuters that a deal was "expected to be signed in coming days".

Hamas said in a brief statement that there were "serious and positive discussions taking place in Doha" on Tuesday and that a deal was "possible" if Israel stopped introducing new conditions.

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