Israel's Heritage Minister says goal is full control of Gaza, including settlements

TEL AVIV, Israel — JERUSALEM — Israel's Heritage Minister Amihai Eliyahu said on Wednesday that the government's ultimate goal is to reassert full control over the Gaza Strip, including the establishment of settlements, according to Israeli public broadcaster KAN. Eliyahu, whose remarks were reported by KAN, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had not yet raised the issue but that it was being discussed in deliberations. He added that Middle Eastern public opinion understood this language well. The comments come as the United States announced on Jan. 14 that the second phase of President Donald Trump's 20-point plan to end the Gaza crisis had begun implementation. The plan calls for at least 600 aid trucks to enter the territory daily, the reconstruction of Gaza and the establishment of a technocratic transitional Palestinian administration under the supervision of a "Board of Peace." The first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, following indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel. No further details on Israel's long-term plans for the territory were immediately available.