Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, issued a stark warning on Tuesday, pledging to displace all residents of Gaza City if any Israeli is abducted in the ongoing conflict. Speaking at a memorial for the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Katz threatened to forcibly evacuate approximately one million people and destroy critical infrastructure in the city, a move that would violate international law under the Geneva Conventions.
Katz addressed Hamas, which controls Gaza, and cited Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Lebanon’s Hezbollah as supporters of the group. He stated that any abduction of Israeli soldiers or civilians by these organizations would prompt Israel to evacuate Gaza City’s population southward forcibly while targeting what he called “terror towers” and infrastructure.
Gaza City is home to about 1.1 million people, part of the roughly two million residents of the Gaza Strip—a territory largely controlled by Hamas but subject to Israeli military operations. Since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,221 Israelis and the abduction of 251 hostages according to Israeli officials, Israeli forces have launched a major retaliatory campaign. The Gaza Health Ministry, which operates under Hamas and is widely considered a reliable source for casualty figures, reports that nearly 74,000 people in Gaza have died in the conflict.
Katz, known for his hardline stance, stated that Israel agreed to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire declaration in October 2025 primarily to secure the release of remaining hostages. He added that Israel has maintained a reduced pace of strikes but is prepared to escalate to full-scale war if necessary.
The minister also warned of further action against Iran, whose clerical government supports Hamas. Katz declared that Israel stands ready to launch additional military operations aimed at overthrowing Tehran’s regime, repeating controversial claims that an earlier joint Israeli-American attack killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in February—a claim not confirmed by other sources.
These statements come as Israel approaches elections scheduled for October 27. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces criticism from opposition parties for what they describe as failures both to prevent the Hamas attacks and to achieve decisive military results since. Katz’s comments appear to reinforce a hardline position in the lead-up to the vote.
Meanwhile, Israel previously halted its broader campaign in April after U.S. President Donald Trump brokered a ceasefire and sought a negotiated resolution amid rising global oil prices and domestic political pressure in the United States. The conflict continues to have widespread humanitarian and geopolitical consequences across the region.