Prime Minister Netanyahu said Tuesday evening that he does not rule out Jewish settlement in Gaza, replying to a question: "I will add nothing on this matter." In a parallel statement, he said the October 7 attack taught him that Israel is a state with an army — not the reverse. The remarks are the most explicit he has made on the settlement question since the war began.
Prime Minister Netanyahu made the remarks in a conversation with journalist Yinon Magal on Tuesday evening. When asked explicitly about the possibility of Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip — a topic that has divided Israeli politics since the war began — Netanyahu did not rule it out, saying only: "I will not add anything on this matter."
The second statement, about Israel's military sovereignty, reinforces a theme Netanyahu has sounded repeatedly since October 7: that the attack shattered any illusion that a state can rely on deterrence without a strong army. The two quotes — broadcast on Channel 14 — come amid a broader push by right-wing factions to reopen the settlement question in Gaza, though no official policy change has been announced.
The Zioneer has previously reported Netanyahu's insistence on no Palestinian state and his security-first approach on multiple fronts. While these remarks do not constitute a policy shift, they signal that the prime minister is not closing the door to a politically sensitive idea that could reshape the postwar landscape.
2 developments
- DevelopingNetanyahu: 'There are more missions to carry out against Iran and Hamas'
- StrongNetanyahu: 'There are things you do and don't say' about Jewish settlement in Gaza
- DevelopingNetanyahu denies stating removal of existential threat from Iran was a war goal
- DevelopingNetanyahu: Hamas demand to leave Gaza was an 'enormous defeat'
Source and signal
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
- Internal intake