On the 17th, Israeli Defense Minister Katz stated on Social Media that Israel will continue to maintain military control over the Gaza Strip after the military operations there end. Katz said that once Israel "defeats the military and ruling forces of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the Gaza Strip," Israel will control the security of the Gaza Strip with "complete freedom of action," just as it does in the West Bank. Currently, the Israeli army has military checkpoints and outposts in the West Bank. The Palestinian side has not yet responded to Katz's remarks.