Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have unveiled plans to establish three new outposts in northern Gaza and allocate more than $400 million to expand settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to The Guardian.
The moves come as national elections approach on October 27, with the coalition seeking to solidify territorial gains.
Military briefings indicate that Israel now controls 65% of the Gaza Strip, surpassing the 53% threshold set under a previous ceasefire deal brokered by former US President Donald Trump.
Israeli military commanders have openly collaborated with regional outpost leaders during these developments.
Maj Gen Avi Bluth, Commander of Israeli forces in the West Bank, praised their work at a meeting of the Farms Association, which represents outposts illegal under Israeli law.
International organizations have condemned the escalating actions. “Settler violence is state violence,” said the United Nations Human Rights Office for Palestine.
Activists report that construction machinery is preparing multiple settlement sites before the vote.
“The government is on a reckless pre-election sprint to raid the public purse in order to create facts on the ground,” said Hagit Ofran of Peace Now.
Defense Minister Katz outlined the strategic nature of the upcoming Gaza outposts during a recent visit, noting they would be placed in areas that formerly held Israeli settlements.
“I intend to establish three Nahal outposts, which is also a military entity, in those places that were [Israeli settlements] in northern Gaza,” Katz said.
Land monitoring experts explained that such military communities historically precede permanent civilian occupation.
“The military is only the first phase, which aims to prepare it for future settlement,” said Dror Etkes, founder of Kerem Navot, adding that dozens of West Bank settlements were established this way.
During an on-camera briefing, military leadership framed the territorial control as a major achievement.
“I don’t know how to describe this, other than victory, when you control 65% of the territory, when you have killed over 70,000 terrorists here,” said Maj Gen Tamir Yadai, Deputy Chief of Staff.
The figures appeared to categorize all casualties, including thousands of children and infants, under a single label.
The Palestinian health authorities compiled a database of over 73,000 names, which the Israeli military acknowledged as broadly accurate.
An official military spokesperson declined to comment on whether internal figures classified women and children as terrorists, stating that a staff assessment on casualty categorization is ongoing.
