Israel’s new Defense Minister, Israel Katz, is in hot water this week. He made comments suggesting that Israel should "finish the job" in Gaza. To him, that means moving Palestinians out of the area.

His words have caused a lot of trouble. The White House, which is Israel’s biggest ally, pushed back hard. They criticized Katz for talking about encouraging people to leave Gaza. The U.S. government says it is still working to make sure Hamas—the group that controls Gaza—is disarmed. They want a future where Hamas does not have weapons, but they are not backing the idea of forcing people to leave their homes.

Many groups and news outlets are pointing out that this talk is happening while the rest of the world acts like there might be a ceasefire soon. Experts say that these comments from the Defense Minister make a peace deal look even further away.

Some analysts think these statements show that Israel is planning to stay in Gaza for a very long time. Even though there is a lot of pressure from other countries to stop the fighting, it seems like the current Israeli leadership is focused on changing the map of Gaza instead of leaving.

For now, the situation remains tense. The White House is trying to keep things steady, but the divide between what the U.S. wants and what Israel's leaders are saying is getting wider.

Source: ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English