Aya Batraoui

Defense Minister Israel Katz was addressing Jewish settlers in the West Bank to mark the expansion of 1,200 new housing units there when he said, God willing, in due time, Israel will establish Israeli communities in areas of northern Gaza where Jewish settlements were dismantled 20 years ago.

And he said, quote, we will not leave all of Gaza.

But only hours later, the Israeli defense minister issued a statement saying the government has no intention of establishing settlements in Gaza and that his remarks were made solely in a security context, without elaborating.

But his initial comments had already grabbed headlines in Israel and were welcomed by a far-right settler group.

Aya Batraoui, NPR News.

UN aid groups say they're rushing to distribute more winter clothes to families.

They say 850,000 people are in areas at risk of flooding and warn children are at risk of hypothermia and falling ill.

NPR's Anas Baba visited a displaced camp soaked in rain in Gaza City.

Families here say they only have one set of winter clothes and no way to dry them.

Nahla Al-Majdoub says she can't even find a tent.

Nahla says the plastic tarp she and her eight kids shelter under collapsed from the rain on their heads last night.

Israel says aid is flowing into Gaza, with trucks carrying winter blankets, tents and plastic sheeting.

But the Norwegian Refugee Council says Israel is impeding the entry of supplies and has rejected 4,000 pallets of shelter materials since the ceasefire.

Aya Batraoui, NPR News, Dubai, with reporting by Anas Baba in Gaza.

A U.S.

official tells NPR President Trump's team is pushing to move to the second phase of the fragile ceasefire in Gaza.

He spoke anonymously because the announcement hasn't officially been made yet.

The U.S.

is also pushing for the creation of an international stabilization force comprised of Muslim and Arab forces to be deployed in Gaza early next year.

But it's unclear which countries will join and what their role will be.