Likud Minister Miki Zohar Rejects Security Minister's Gaza Kidnapping Warning

Miki Zohar, a minister from the Likud party, offered a more reassuring perspective on the security situation in southern Israel compared to Defense Minister Israel Katz. While Katz had warned of a potential Hamas kidnapping of an Israeli soldier or civilian near the "yellow line" in Gaza, Zohar stated that residents of the Gaza border region are safer than ever and the chance of a kidnapping is "almost non-existent," asserting that Hamas is deterred.

Zohar's comments came after Katz spoke at a memorial ceremony for fallen soldiers of the Yom Kippur War, issuing a stern warning to Hamas and its supporters. Katz declared that Israel would not retreat from the "yellow line" in Gaza to new positions within the Strip until Hamas is removed and Gaza is demilitarized. He further threatened that if a single Israeli soldier or civilian is kidnapped, the entire city of Gaza, including its homes and terror towers, would be evacuated southward, mirroring past operations in Rafah and Beit Hanoun, and that 70% of Gaza would be treated similarly.

Katz emphasized that Israel's strategy involves population evacuation, infrastructure destruction, and territorial control. "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 territory," he stated, adding that this approach was used in Operation "Gideon's Chariots" and in Rafah and Beit Hanoun.