Israel will ‘finish job’ in Gaza and remove Palestinians, says defence minister

Israel's Defence Minister, Israel Katz, declared on Wednesday that the country will soon resume full-scale warfare in Gaza and force out its two million Palestinians. Katz's remarks came in response to criticism from a fellow right-wing contender ahead of the country's Oct 27 elections. He claimed that 70% of Gaza had already been evacuated of its population following Israel's offensive launched in retaliation for Hamas's Oct 7, 2023 attack, which resulted in the deadliest strike against Israel in history, killing 1,221 people and taking 251 hostages.

Katz stated that the US President Donald Trump's October 2025 ceasefire holds supreme value for Israelis by ensuring the return of remaining hostages and a commitment from the US to disarm Hamas. However, he emphasized that this outcome will not materialize, and the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) are ready to complete the task of eliminating Hamas and implementing a migration plan.

Katz further mentioned that Israel is prepared to remove Palestinians from Gaza both by sea and land, but is waiting for the US to decide the destination for the two million displaced individuals. U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee has refuted any plan to displace people out of Gaza against their will. Katz described the migration plan as voluntary, asserting that most Palestinians wish to leave. Nearly all of Gaza's population has been internally displaced, and most of the territory is now in ruins following the war.

The Hamas-led attack on Oct 7, 2023, resulted in a staggering 1,221 fatalities, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures, marking the deadliest assault on Israel ever. In addition to the casualties, 251 hostages were taken by the militants to Gaza. Israel's retaliatory military campaign in Gaza has claimed the lives of over 73,700 people, as reported by the territory's health ministry, which operates under Hamas authority and does not differentiate between combatants and civilians. The UN has verified the credibility of these figures.

Despite the 11-month-old ceasefire, Israel has continued to carry out strikes in Gaza. Since the ceasefire took effect, 1,375 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Gaza health ministry. In late July, Hamas expressed readiness to disarm, a move hailed by Trump as a significant breakthrough. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the latest stage of the plan, stating that Israel will not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas verifiably decommissions all weapons.