Israel Defense Minister Threatens Gaza Evacuation if Israelis Kidnapped

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a stark warning to Hamas on Tuesday, threatening a full evacuation of Gaza City southward if a single Israeli soldier or civilian is kidnapped. Speaking at a memorial ceremony for fallen soldiers of the Yom Kippur War, Katz stated, "In light of various intentions and intelligence, I hereby warn the terror organization and its supporters, from Iran to Erdogan: If a single Israeli soldier or citizen is kidnapped, the entire city of Gaza, with its homes and terror towers, will be evacuated southward with its million residents until their return."

Katz elaborated on this policy, asserting, "This is the language that jihadist terror organizations in Gaza and Lebanon understand, and this is the language we speak: evacuation of the population, destruction of infrastructure, and taking the territory." He also referenced ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza, noting that "security zones are empty of residents and the IDF operates within the territory, establishing outposts and destroying all terror infrastructure above and below ground, including homes that served as actual terror outposts."

Furthermore, Katz addressed the issue of Hamas disarmament and the IDF's continued presence in the Strip, declaring, "We will not retreat from the 'red line' in Gaza to new deployment lines within Gaza as long as Hamas is not dismantled and Gaza is not demilitarized of weapons and tunnels. We will not allow a threat to our communities."

Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of Yisrael Beiteinu, criticized Katz's statement, writing on X (formerly Twitter) that if intelligence about Hamas's intentions to kidnap Israelis persists three years after the October 7th massacre, it signifies the bankruptcy of the current government. Lieberman called Katz's declaration "another joke in the collection of empty statements from the government," adding, "He who has not defeated [Hamas] for three years will never defeat them."