Israeli Defence Minister vows to expel Gaza City residents if Israelis abducted

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz vowed Tuesday to force out all of Gaza City's residents and displace a million people in the war-ravaged territory if any Israeli is abducted in the future. Speaking at a memorial for the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Katz also threatened the destruction of infrastructure, which, like the forced displacement of civilians, constitutes a war crime under the Geneva Conventions.

Recently, Katz said that Israel agreed to an October 2025 US-brokered ceasefire declaration only to free the remaining hostages and that he expected Israel, which has kept up strikes at a lower pace, to return to full-scale war in Gaza.