Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel stated that there are no plans to resume settlement construction in the Gaza Strip after the current military operation concludes, emphasizing that any future activities would be limited to securing a defined security zone. This summary reflects the information reported by TASS.
During a press briefing, observers asked whether the ruling coalition might restart settlement activities. Netanyahu answered in the negative, clarifying that his goal is to maintain a security framework in Gaza that ensures demilitarization, and that expanding settlement construction does not align with that objective.
Earlier, Netanyahu had warned that Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran and based in Lebanon, could escalate the situation on Israel’s northern front if it becomes more deeply involved in the conflict. He underscored that the army is prepared to respond to any such escalation.
The Middle East crisis intensified after thousands of Hamas militants infiltrated Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7, triggering Hamas’s declaration of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. In response, Netanyahu announced that Israel was at war and pledged a comprehensive military effort.
The stated aim of Israel’s response to Operation Iron Sword has been to repel the initial attack, free more than 200 hostages, including foreign nationals, and dismantle Hamas. To achieve these objectives, Israel launched extensive rocket strikes on Gaza from the outset of the operation. At the same time, the Israeli National Security Council decided to curtail the flow of essential resources such as water, food, electricity, fuel, and other goods into the Gaza Strip. Humanitarian aid convoys began moving through the Rafah crossing after October 20, but relief organizations noted that the aid volume was insufficient to meet urgent needs.
On October 27, Israel announced an expansion of the ground operation in Gaza. The exact start date of the ground phase remains unclear, but in the preceding days hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled their homes, seeking shelter in southern regions or more secure locations. By November 5, as ground forces of the IDF surrounded Gaza City and cut off supplies, fighting continued in central Gaza.
Analysts note that the flare-up in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is the result of a culmination of longstanding tensions, and they highlight the role of multiple regional actors in shaping the current confrontations. Observers emphasize that the situation remains fluid and warrants close monitoring as events unfold.