Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the IDF not to reduce the defense deployment in Gaza border communities at this time, following a security assessment last week and appeals from residents to preserve their sense of security, according to the Defense Minister's Office.
Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the IDF on Wednesday afternoon not to reduce the defense deployment in Gaza border communities, reversing a planned military drawdown of reservists serving in emergency squads. The instruction, announced at 15:16 Jerusalem, came after a security assessment led by Katz last week and following appeals from Gaza Envelope residents to preserve their sense of security. Katz's office stated that no reduction would be made "until a different decision is reached."
The thread reveals that the IDF had initiated a plan to release reservists from the civil defense squads in communities located 4–7 kilometers from the border fence, arguing they were costly and redundant given two divisions operating in Gaza and the squads' ability to remain armed outside reserve duty. Katz overrode that decision, with the directive reported amid tensions between the Defense Minister and the Chief of Staff. The initial reports at 15:16 simply noted the instruction; later versions added the context of the reversal and the internal dynamics.
The decision aligns with Katz's broader security policy, as The Zioneer has reported. In recent weeks, Katz has repeatedly stated that the IDF will maintain an open-ended presence in security zones across Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, framing these buffer areas as essential to preventing jihadist threats from reaching Israeli communities. The instruction to preserve the Gaza Envelope defense deployment is a specific application of that approach.
The instruction is explicitly temporary, pending a future decision. It remains unclear when the defense minister will reassess the deployment or what conditions might lead to a change.
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