Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday that Israel will never fully withdraw its forces from the Gaza Strip for security reasons, contradicting both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s assurances and the US-backed peace plan.

The agreement signed by Israel and Hamas in October calls for a gradual and complete Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza and rules out the re-establishment of Israeli settlements in the territory.

“We are deep inside Gaza and we will never abandon all of Gaza. That will never happen. We are there to protect, to prevent what happened,” Katz said, referring to Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

Netanyahu’s office declined to comment.

Katz made the remarks at a ceremony in the Israeli-occupied West Bank announcing the construction of 1,200 housing units in the Beit El settlement. The units will be built on land currently occupied by an Israeli military base that is being closed.

Referring to Israeli military units, Katz said that when the time comes, Israel would establish Nahal units in northern Gaza to replace communities that were evacuated in 2005.

“We don’t trust anyone else to protect our citizens,” Katz said, adding that similar security measures were necessary in Lebanon and Syria.

Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected the idea of re-establishing Israeli settlements in Gaza during the ongoing war, though some far-right members of his governing coalition have called for retaking the territory.

Nahal units in the Israel Defense Forces combine military service with civilian and pre-military programs and have historically played a role in establishing Israeli communities.

With Israel heading into an election year in 2026, the issue of settlements is expected to be a central political issue.

Speaking about the West Bank, Katz said: “The Netanyahu government is a settlement government. It seeks action. If we can gain sovereignty, we will bring about sovereignty. We are in an era of practical sovereignty.”