JERUSALEM, Israel — Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz vowed on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, to force out all residents of Gaza City and displace one million people if any Israeli is abducted in the future.
Speaking at a memorial for the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Israel Katz warned that Israel would destroy infrastructure and displace civilians in response to future abductions. Okay News reports that Israel Katz addressed his warnings directly to Hamas and Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“I hereby warn the terrorist organisation and its supporters, from Iran to Erdogan — if a single Israeli soldier or civilian is kidnapped, the entire city of Gaza, with its houses and terror towers, will be evacuated southward with its million residents,” Israel Katz said.
The defence minister stated that the strategy represents the approach Israel intends to use against militant groups in the region.
“This is the language that the jihadist terrorist organisations in Gaza and Lebanon understand, and this is the language we speak — evacuation of the population, destruction of infrastructure and taking over the territory,” Israel Katz said.
Gaza City holds approximately 1.1 million residents, according to municipal data, out of a total population of two million in the Gaza Strip. Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, in which militants killed 1,221 people and took 251 hostages, including 44 who were deceased at the time. The subsequent offensive by Israel has killed 73,919 people, according to the Gaza health ministry.
Israel Katz previously stated that Israel agreed to an October 2025 US-brokered ceasefire declaration solely to secure the release of remaining hostages. The statement precedes elections scheduled for October 27, 2026, in which Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces political pressure regarding military operations and security measures.
During his address, Israel Katz also issued warnings directed at Iran.
“The work is not yet finished and if we need to, we will strike a third time until the terrorist regime is overthrown and eliminated,” Israel Katz said.
Following joint military action by the United States and Israel in late February 2026, which resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Israel paused its primary campaign in April 2026 after US President Donald Trump entered a ceasefire agreement.
