JERUSALEM, Israel — Israel’s Minister of Defence, Israel Katz, stated on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, that it is only a matter of time before the country resumes full-scale military operations in Gaza and moves to force out its two million Palestinian residents.
The Minister of Defence issued the statement in response to criticism from a rival right-wing contender ahead of Israel‘s national elections scheduled for October 27, 2026.
Okay News reports that Israel Katz confirmed 70 percent of Gaza’s population has already been displaced during the military campaign launched after the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas.
Israel Katz addressed the ceasefire announced in October 2025 by United States President Donald Trump, stating it held “supreme value for all Israelis” by securing the return of hostages and establishing a United States commitment to disarm Hamas.
The Defence Minister stated that Hamas will not voluntarily disarm under the agreement.
“We all understand that this is not going to happen — and the IDF is prepared, once given the directive to eliminate Hamas, to finish the job so that we can also implement the migration plan,” Israel Katz said.
The statement follows remarks earlier this month where Israel Katz declared Israel was prepared to remove Palestinians from Gaza by land and sea, pending discussions with the United States regarding destination territories.
United States Ambassador Mike Huckabee has denied the existence of any plan to “displace people out of Gaza against their will”.
Israel Katz described the displacement initiative as voluntary, maintaining that a majority of Palestinians in Gaza wish to leave.
Nearly all of Gaza‘s population remains internally displaced following the October 7, 2023 attack led by Hamas, which killed 1,221 people and resulted in 251 hostages taken.
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 73,700 people, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
A total of 1,375 Palestinians have been killed in strikes since the October 2025 ceasefire took effect.
Despite Hamas expressing readiness to disarm in late July 2026, Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, rejected the plan, stating Israeli forces will not withdraw until Hamas verifiably surrenders all weaponry.
