JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL

Senior Israeli officials on Monday publicly advocated for a permanent occupation of the Gaza Strip, defying a US-backed plan that explicitly rules out Israel’s military presence or annexation of the territory.

The statements were made during a conference held at the Israeli Knesset titled “Gaza – The Day After,” Israel’s right-wing Channel 7 reported.

Justice Minister Yariv Levin said Israel must maintain control over Gaza as part of what he described as its broader territorial claims.

“We need to be present in Gaza and across the entire Land of Israel,” Levin said. “This is, first and foremost, our country.”

Also speaking at the conference, far-right lawmaker Simcha Rothman said Israel should retain full authority over Gaza.

“Israel must keep control of the Gaza Strip,” Rothman said, according to the broadcaster.

Channel 7 reported that discussions at the event focused on proposals including continued Israeli security control, the disarmament of Hamas, and measures aimed at encouraging the forced displacement of Palestinians from the enclave.

The remarks came despite Israel’s formal approval of a plan announced by US President Donald Trump, which states that Israel would neither occupy nor annex Gaza.

Trump unveiled the proposal in late September as part of a broader initiative to end the war on Gaza. The plan includes a ceasefire, the release of Israeli captives, the disarmament of Hamas, Israel’s withdrawal from the enclave, the formation of a technocratic administration, and the deployment of an international stabilization force.

The Israeli army has killed more than 71,000 people, most of them women and children, and injured over 171,000 others in a brutal offensive since October 2023 that left the Gaza Strip in ruins.

Despite a ceasefire that began last Oct. 10, the Israeli army has continued its attacks, killing 442 Palestinians and wounding 1,236 others, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.