Commander of the 82nd Battalion, Lt. Col. Ofir Caspi, was reprimanded by the IDF on Friday after publicly expressing that Jewish settlement is "the only real solution" to Israel's security needs in the Gaza Strip.
Following Caspi's comments made to reporters in Khan Yunis on establishing settlements in the Gaza Strip, the IDF launched an inquiry conducted by his brigade and division commanders.
According to the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, "The officer retracted his words and expressed regret. The officer is also currently fighting in Khan Yunis. His statement was made during a long conversation and while describing the battles and the war."
"The officer understood the deviation from the norm and what is expected of him as an officer wearing a uniform."
Settlements impending in Gaza?
In a conversation with Army Radio in the Gaza Strip, Caspi said that the only real solution to the need for security control in Gaza is Jewish settlement in the Strip. "The solution to security control is the establishment of settlements, but that is a political matter," Caspi emphasized. Nothing."
He said, "The solution is to return, just as there were settlements in [the West Bank]; that's the way it should be here as well; there is no other solution."