Katz explicitly threatens Gaza with genocide, ethnic cleansing
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Israeli Security Minister Israel Katz threatens Gaza with total destruction and signaled the resumption of forced displacement of the enclave's civilians.
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Smoke rises following an Israeli bombardment in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern occupied Palestine, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP)
Israeli Security Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday threatened the Palestinians in Gaza with the complete destruction of the besieged enclave and signaled the imminent resumption of the forced displacement of its people.
“For Gazans, this is the latest warning ... The air force attacks on Hamas were only the first step. What comes next will be much harder, and you will have to pay the price in full. The evacuation of the population from the war zones will soon begin again. If all kidnapped Israelis are not released and Hamas is not forced out of the Gaza Strip, Israel will act with a force you have never seen before,” Katz said in a direct address to the people of Gaza.
The statement signals a further escalation in the Israeli occupation’s brutal onslaught in the Gaza Strip, which has already killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and displaced the overwhelming majority of the enclave’s residents.
Katz also urged Gazans to follow the advice of former US President Donald Trump, claiming that compliance with Israeli demands could lead to alternative “options” for them, including the forced displacement from Gaza permanently.
“Return the kidnapped and get rid of Hamas, then other options will open up for you, including passage to other parts of the world. The alternative is total destruction and devastation,” he added.
His remarks reinforce growing concerns over "Israel’s" plans to depopulate Gaza through systematic forced displacement, a policy widely condemned as a violation of international law.
Palestinian and international human rights groups have repeatedly warned that "Israel’s" actions amount to ethnic cleansing and a deliberate effort to make Gaza uninhabitable.
'Negotiations with Hamas will be under fire': Netanyahu
The Israeli occupation reignited the war in Gaza on Tuesday, killing hundreds of Palestinians, including women and children, in a matter of hours. So far, more than 400 Palestinians have been killed and over 600 injured in the aggression.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Tuesday that "negotiations with Hamas will be under fire" from now on, claiming that the return to fighting comes after Hamas rejected all offers made by "Israel" for the release of Israeli captives.
In a video statement released by the prime minister following the resumption of the Israeli war on Gaza, he claimed that "Israel" had extended the ceasefire for weeks, sent delegations, and accepted the proposal from US envoy Steve Witkoff, but received no response from Hamas.
However, it is worth noting that Hamas has consistently shown flexibility in negotiations. During the last round of talks, Hamas demanded guarantees to move to the second phase when US envoy Steve Witkoff proposed a "bridge" solution to the prisoner exchange, calling for the release of 10 living captives and have of the deceased ones.
Netanyahu noted that the Israeli occupation forces recommended increasing military pressure on Hamas as a strategy to achieve the war's so-called objectives, including the return of captives. He also claimed "Israel" would resume military escalation "to ensure that the Gaza Strip does not pose a threat to Israel."
He also announced the approval of the "army’s recommendation to resume intensive fighting against Hamas" in a joint decision with his security minister, Israel Katz.
Read more: 'Israel' reneged on Gaza ceasefire, US complicit in genocide: Hamas
