Katz says displacement, destruction and occupation are the 'language' that Hamas, Hezbollah understand

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday said that displacement of the population, destruction of infrastructure and occupation of territory are the “language” that Hamas and Hezbollah understand, defending Israel’s actions in this regard.

The destruction of infrastructure and the forced displacement of civilians constitute war crimes under the Geneva Conventions.

"I hereby warn the terrorist organization (Hamas) and its supporters, from Iran to (Turkish President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan -- if a single Israeli soldier or civilian is kidnapped, the entire city of Gaza … will be evacuated southward with its million residents," Katz said at a memorial for the 1973 Israeli-Arab war.

"This is the language that the jihadist terrorist organizations in Gaza and Lebanon understand, and this is the language we speak -- evacuation of the population, destruction of infrastructure and taking over the territory," he said, referring to Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

Katz, known for his outspoken remarks, recently said that Israel agreed to an October 2025 U.S.-brokered ceasefire declaration in Gaza 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.

The comments come ahead of October 27 elections in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing criticism from the opposition that he failed both to prevent the attack and to deliver military success afterwards.

In his latest remarks, Katz again also threatened to return to war with Iran, whose cleric-run government supports Hamas.

"The work is not yet finished and if we need to, we will strike a third time until the terrorist regime is overthrown and eliminated," Katz said.

The United States and Israel jointly attacked Iran in late February, with an initial Israeli strike killing supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Israel reluctantly halted its campaign in April after U.S. President Donald Trump entered a ceasefire and sought a negotiated settlement to the war, which has sharply raised oil prices and been highly unpopular among U.S. voters.