Katz threatens to destroy all that remains of Gaza City if one Israeli is kidnapped by Hamas

Defense Minister Israel Katz warned on Tuesday that Israel would destroy Gaza City and force one million Gazans to evacuate if Hamas, backed by Iran or Turkey, captures a single Israeli hostage. The defense minister's statement came in response to growing concerns about potential aggressive actions by Iran, Turkey and their proxies, including Hamas.

He argued that such threats were necessary to deter jihadist enemies of Israel from attacking the Jewish state. Although a theoretical and potentially politically charged remark domestically, Katz's warning could complicate the legal defense of Israel in international courts, such as The Hague, which may accuse Israel of genocide and war crimes.

Additionally, critics of Israel may exploit his statement to support allegations against Israel, as seen in the recently released NAZA documentary film, despite the film's lack of specific and concrete evidence. Furthermore, Katz emphasized that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) would not withdraw from 63% of Gaza under their current control until Hamas is completely disarmed.

This stance is expected to remain in place until at least the US midterm elections on November 3. However, after this date, US foreign affairs envoy Jared Kushner has made numerous public hints that the Trump administration might renew its calls for Israel to partially withdraw from Gaza in exchange for Hamas taking partial disarmament actions.