Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz reiterated plans to establish Nahal nucleus groups in northern Gaza, emphasizing that Israel “will never leave the Gaza Strip,” according to remarks delivered at the Bnei Akiva and Makor Rishon National Education Conference on December 25, 2025.

“A large area of Gaza will be surrounded to protect settlements,” Katz said. “In my vision and in due time, Nahal nucleus groups will be established in the northern part,” he added, addressing attendees at the conference.

The remarks came only days after Katz issued a clarification following international criticism, including from the United States. Earlier comments, made at the Jewish settlement of Beit El in the West Bank, had drawn condemnation from U.S. officials stationed at the U.S. Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) in Kiryat Gat, who warned that provocative rhetoric could undermine cooperation with Arab nations.

In response, Katz’s office released an official statement in both English and Hebrew, saying the defence minister’s remarks regarding the integration of Nahal nucleus groups in northern Gaza were made “strictly in security-related contexts” and that “the government has no intention of establishing settlements in the Gaza Strip.”

The Nahal nucleus programs, operated under the Israel Defense Forces’ Nahal Brigade, combine community-based activity with military service and are typically implemented in areas where the Israeli government encourages a long-term presence. The programs traditionally focus on agriculture and infrastructure, according to briefing materials from the conference.