GAZA: Israel's defence minister vowed on 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. Katz also threatened the destruction of infrastructure, which, like the forced displacement of civilians, constitutes a war crime under the Geneva Conventions.
Gaza City is home to around 1.1 million people, according to the municipality. The entire Gaza Strip has some two million people, who after nearly three years of war have been packed into the 30 per cent of the territory not controlled by Israel. Israel launched a massive retaliatory offensive that has displaced virtually the entire population at least once and has killed 73,919 people, according to the Gaza health ministry, which operates under Hamas and whose figures are generally considered reliable.
Katz, known for his outspoken remarks, recently 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. In his latest remarks, Katz again also threatened to return to war with Iran, whose cleric-run government supports Hamas. — AFP
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