Israeli soldiers operating in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, on November 28, 2024. Photo by Oren Cohen/Flash90
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday affirmed that Israeli troops will need to maintain a military presence in Gaza for some time, comparing it to the situation in Judea and Samaria, where the IDF routinely conducts counter-terror raids.
“In contrast to various publications – my position regarding Gaza is clear,” Katz wrote in a post on 𝕏 this morning. “After we subdue the military and political power of Hamas in Gaza, Israel will exercise security control in Gaza with full freedom of operation, exactly as in Judea and Samaria.”
“We will not allow any organized terror against Israeli settlements or Israeli citizens from Gaza. We will not allow a return to the situation before October 7.”
Agreeing with Katz, former top Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) official Arik Barbing told The Jerusalem Post that the IDF will need to maintain a long-term physical presence in the Gaza Strip after the war.
However, Barbing, who was in charge of the District of Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria, also stated Israel should avoid building new Jewish settlements in Gaza.
He noted that Israel faces a significant challenge in replacing Hamas rule in Gaza due to the extent to which the terror organization embedded itself within the coastal enclave.
Barbing also spoke about the Israeli hostages and how it will require a long-term IDF presence in Gaza.
“Without resolving the hostage issue, it will be hard [for Israel] to move on,” the former Shin Bet official said, while also noting that he doesn’t expect a quick resolution to the hostage situation, despite recent comments from political leaders.
Barbing shared that even if a hostage release deal is reached soon, Hamas will not release all the captives because it wants to have a bargaining tool to remain in Gaza.
Nonetheless, he does believe that Israel should negotiate for their release.
“It’s a very sensitive and complex issue. Time is running out for the hostages’ hopes of survival. It is a day-to-day struggle. They should not be sent to their death,” he told the Post.
Barbing further explained that Hamas will likely attempt to drag out the process of returning the hostages, releasing only a few at a time. Even so, he believes Israel should keep its forces in the Gaza Strip.
“We cannot leave Gaza now because Hamas will not keep the deal for the rest of the hostages anyway, and then it will be harder for the IDF to go back,” he explained. “We need to be very strong against Hamas. If we leave a vacuum, Hamas will come back fast.”
Barbing warned that delays by the government in deciding on a new group to govern the Strip only strengthen Hamas, reinforcing its appearance as the sole legitimate authority.
The former Shin Bet officer noted another reason for a long-term IDF presence in Gaza – the level of indoctrination among the population.
“At the time of the Hamas coup [against the PA] in 2007, Nukhba operatives were only seven years old,” Barbing pointed out.
“They never saw Jews until October 7. They were brainwashed in ‘Dawa’ [Islamist missionary] schools that they need to kill Jews,” he said.
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