The Israeli military will not allow Israeli citizens to rebuild settlements in Gaza after the war against Hamas, Israeli Defense Secretary Yoav Gallant confirmed Monday.
Gallant confirmed this in a meeting with members of President Biden’s administration last week, according to a report from Axios. Israeli settlements in Gaza were originally dismantled in 2005 when Israel withdrew from the region, but hardline members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government have recently called for the settlements to be rebuilt.
Gallant met with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew and assured him that the settlements would not return. He also said the 1-kilometer buffer zone Israel plans to establish in Gaza will also not be used for settlements. Gallant says the buffer zone is only for security purposes and will be temporary, according to Axios.
The assurances come days after several prominent Israeli officials attended a conference in Jerusalem calling for the return of settlements in Gaza. Three ministers who attended were from Netanyahu’s Likud Party.
Israel on Monday also provided the Biden administration with a new dossier with information about how staffers for a United Nations agency assisted or supported the Hamas terror attacks on Oct. 7.
The dossier alleges that 12 employees who worked with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) aided the attack in various capacities.
According to the dossier, seven U.N. staffers crossed into Israel on Oct. 7 while others were accused of ‘participating in a terror activity’ or coordinating vehicle movements.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the individuals who were alleged to have been involved in the attack are no longer employed.
‘Of the 12 people implicated, nine were immediately identified and terminated by the commissioner-general of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini; one is confirmed dead, and the identity of the two others is being clarified,’ said Guterres.
He also said on Sunday that any U.N. employee who is found to have been involved in terror acts ‘will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution.’
Fox News’ Lawrence Richard contributed to this report.
