Israel's defence minister warned that Gaza City could be evacuated and moved south if another Israeli—soldier or civilian—is abducted, citing intelligence he said pointed to such a plan. Katz addressed Hamas and named Iran and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as backers of the militants. Israeli media reported heightened troop alert over possible Hamas retaliation; the intelligence has not been independently verified. The warning follows the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks that triggered the Gaza war and the subsequent heavy casualties on both sides.
Israel Warns Gaza City Could Be Evacuated South If Another Israeli Is Abducted
FILE PHOTO - Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz is pictured in Jerusalem. (is associated with: «Israel to push Gaza City residents south if another Israeli abducted») Hannes P Albert/dpa
Israel's defence minister said Gaza City and its residents could be moved south if another Israeli is taken into Gaza. Defence Minister Israel Katz issued the warning on Tuesday, saying Israeli intelligence indicated plans to abduct an Israeli and move them into the Gaza Strip.
Katz made the remarks at a memorial for soldiers killed in the 1973 Yom Kippur War and did not provide operational details. He explicitly addressed the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas and named Iran and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as supporters he held responsible.
"If even a single Israeli soldier or civilian is abducted, the entire city of Gaza with its houses and terror towers and its million inhabitants will be evacuated to the south," Katz said, adding that Israel would respond to any kidnapping as it has during the Gaza war.
Israeli outlet ynet reported that troops in the Gaza Strip had been told to increase vigilance amid concerns Hamas could retaliate after a series of targeted strikes on senior militants. The intelligence claims cited by Katz and reported in the Israeli media could not be independently verified.
Context and Humanitarian Toll
The warning comes against the backdrop of the October 7, 2023 attacks, when Hamas and allied militants abducted more than 250 people from Israel into Gaza. Approximately two-thirds of those hostages were later returned alive; others were killed or died in captivity. The October 7 assault killed around 1,200 people in Israel and precipitated the wider Gaza war.
Since the start of the Gaza war, the Hamas-run Gaza health authority reports that more than 73,900 Palestinians have been killed; those figures do not distinguish between civilians and fighters. Any large-scale evacuation or forced relocation of Gaza City would raise significant humanitarian and legal concerns and likely draw broad international scrutiny.
Note: This article reports statements by an official and media reports based on intelligence that could not be independently corroborated at the time of publication.
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