UPDATE - Israeli defense minister says Israel to keep security control in Gaza 'after defeating Hamas'

UPDATES WITH OPPOSITION LEADER'S COMMENT

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday said the Israeli army will keep security control over the Gaza Strip after "defeating" Hamas in the enclave.

In a statement on X, Katz said his position on Gaza remains clear: "After we defeat Hamas's military and ruling power in Gaza, Israel will have control security in Gaza."

He said Israel will have "full freedom of action, just as it did in Judea and Samaria," in reference to the Israeli control over the occupied West Bank.

Katz, who is known for his anti-Palestinian stance, said Israel won't "allow a return to the pre-Oct. 7 reality."

His comments came after a Channel 12 report earlier in the day claimed the defense minister said Israel was not interested in controlling Gaza in the aftermath of the war.

"Israel does not want military control or civilian governance over the residents. There are no decisions regarding settlement in Gaza," Katz was quoted as saying.

While backing Katz's comments on giving the army the freedom to act in Gaza, opposition leader Yair Lapid, however, said Israel should not settle in Gaza.

"Better late than never. Israel should not settle in Gaza, and the IDF (Israeli army) should not continue to lose fighters in Jabalia forever because of hallucinations," he added on X.

Israel has killed more than 45,000 people, mostly women and children, in Gaza since a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

On Nov. 21, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the enclave.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara