Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz at the Knesset
Context image: Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz. Photo: Itzhak Harari / Knesset Archives (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Lead

Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz warned on September 16 that a return to full-scale war in Gaza could be imminent if Hamas does not disarm, saying the Israeli military is ready to act on orders to eliminate Hamas and "finish the job" — remarks that revived talk of an Israeli plan to move Gaza's estimated two million Palestinians out of the territory. The statement came in response to criticism from Ofer Winter, a fellow right-wing contender, ahead of Israel's parliamentary elections scheduled for October 27.

What happened

Katz issued the statement after Winter, a candidate for a new right-wing party, mocked the defense establishment, sarcastically noting that despite years of war and the mobilization of numerous military units, a Hamas commander was still operating in Rafah in southern Gaza. Katz pushed back, saying about 70 percent of Gaza's population had already been displaced during Israel's offensive that followed the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

"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," Katz said, according to AFP reporting, referring to the Israel Defense Forces. The wire service described the remarks as signaling that a return to full-scale war was only a matter of time.

Katz has also said Israel is prepared to facilitate the departure of Palestinians from Gaza by land and sea, and claimed earlier this month that Israel was waiting on the United States, which he said was discussing potential destinations for the territory's residents. He has described the proposed migration as voluntary, asserting that most Palestinians in Gaza want to leave — though he did not provide evidence for that claim.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee pushed back, denying there is any plan to "displace people out of Gaza against their will." The conflicting statements leave an unclear picture of what, if any, coordinated policy exists.

At the same time, Katz defended the October 2025 ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump, calling it of "supreme value for all Israelis" because it facilitated the return of the remaining hostages and secured what he called a US commitment to disarm Hamas. That disarmament has not materialized. Al-Jazirah News reported that Hamas said in late July it was prepared to disarm — a development Trump described as a breakthrough — but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the latest stage of the ceasefire plan, insisting Israel will not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas verifiably dismantles its weapons.

Why it matters

Katz's remarks land in the middle of two intersecting pressures: a ceasefire that has held in name since October 2025 but has been punctured by repeated strikes and killings, and a stalled negotiation over the agreement's next phase. That phase was supposed to cover Hamas's disarmament and a withdrawal of Israeli forces, but negotiators have not agreed on terms for either.

The political timing is also significant. With elections less than six weeks away, Katz — a Likud minister in Netanyahu's government — used the statement to present himself as uncompromising on Hamas to right-wing voters, while framing the Trump-brokered ceasefire as a net gain for Israel because of the hostage returns. Whether the "migration plan" represents actual government policy or election-season positioning is unresolved, and the US ambassador's denial adds to the uncertainty.

The comments drew international attention because any plan to remove Gaza's population raises grave legal and humanitarian questions, and because Katz's language — pairing a military offensive with population "migration" — echoes proposals that have been widely condemned by Palestinian leaders, Arab states, and human rights groups.

The numbers in context

The Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack killed about 1,221 people, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures, and militants seized 251 hostages. Israel's subsequent military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian authorities, a figure the United Nations has described as reliable. Gaza's health ministry, which operates under Hamas authority and does not distinguish between combatants and civilians, has put the toll above 73,700.

Since the US-brokered ceasefire took effect in October 2025, more than 1,300 Palestinians — mostly civilians, according to Gaza health officials — have been killed, while the Israeli military says four Israeli soldiers have died. The numbers underscore that the truce has reduced the intensity of the conflict without ending the killing, a point raised repeatedly by UN officials and humanitarian organizations.

What happens next

The immediate question is whether Katz's statement foreshadows a government directive to resume large-scale operations or remains political signaling. A return to full-scale war would mark the collapse of the October 2025 ceasefire framework and would likely bring renewed international pressure, particularly from the United States, which brokered the truce.

Diplomatically, the focus stays on the stalled talks over Hamas disarmament and Israeli troop withdrawal. Without progress there, each ceasefire violation — and each Israeli strike like the ones that killed three Palestinians on September 19 — further erodes what remains of the agreement. The October 27 election will shape who decides Israel's next steps: a rightward shift could strengthen the case for a renewed offensive, while the hostage families and parts of the public may press to protect the gains of the truce.

Signal Post News will continue tracking ceasefire violations, casualty figures, and official statements from both sides as developments unfold.

Sources and reporting notes

Reporting cutoff: September 22, 2026. Casualty figures from Gaza's health ministry and Palestinian authorities could not be independently verified; the figures are presented with attribution. The claim that Hamas said in late July it was prepared to disarm comes from Al-Jazirah News alone and is attributed as such. The US ambassador's denial and Katz's "voluntary" characterization are presented as stated positions, not independently verified facts.

War / Israel–Gaza · Published September 22, 2026Back to the lead story