Katz says resumption of full-scale war in Gaza is only a matter of time
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the resumption of full-scale hostilities in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, is only a matter of time. As Asharq Al-Awsat reports, he also spoke of an intention to implement a plan to relocate approximately 2 million Palestinians from the strip.
Katz's statement
Katz made the statement in response to criticism from another right-wing contender ahead of the elections scheduled for October 27. According to him, the Israeli army is ready, once it receives the order, to eliminate Hamas and “finish the job,” which, he claims, would make it possible to implement the migration plan.
The minister also stated that 70% of Gaza had already been cleared of its population as a result of the Israeli offensive following Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023. Katz called the ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump in October 2025 important for Israel because of the return of the remaining hostages and U.S. commitments regarding Hamas’s disarmament. At the same time, he expressed confidence that the group would not disarm.
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Relocation of the population
Earlier this month, Katz said that Israel was ready to transport Palestinians out of Gaza by sea and land. According to him, Israel was waiting for the United States to discuss where about 2 million people could go. Katz described such departure as voluntary and claimed that most Palestinians wanted to leave the strip.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee denied the existence of a plan for the forced relocation of Gaza’s residents. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which operates under Hamas control, more than 73,700 people have been killed since the start of Israel’s military campaign. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants among the dead, and the UN considers its data reliable.
The publication notes that despite an 11-month ceasefire, Israel regularly struck the Gaza Strip. According to the local Health Ministry, 1,375 Palestinians have been killed since the truce took effect. At the end of July, Hamas said it was ready to disarm, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that Israeli troops would not leave Gaza until the group laid down its weapons in a verifiable manner.
