Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that the Zionist occupation will continue to rule over Gaza militarily after the war.

“In response to various reports, my position regarding Gaza is clear.

Once we defeat Hamas’s military power and ruling power in Gaza, Israel will control security in Gaza with full freedom to act, just as in Judea and Samaria,” he wrote in a post to X, in reference to the West Bank.

We will not allow a return to the pre-October 7 reality,” Katz posted.

The statement came after Israeli Channel 12 reported that Katz had told a senior American official in a closed-door meeting that “Israel does not want military control or civilian governance over the residents of the Gaza Strip.” Katz also reportedly said that “there are no decisions regarding settlement in Gaza.” He was also quoted as saying with regard to the Palestinian Authority that, “Israel is protecting the PA from Iran and Hamas.

It must be shifted to the moderate side.”