Defense Minister Israel Katz visited the 162nd Division leading the Gaza City assault, praising troops, demanding Hamas hand over hostages and disarm, and vowing that taking Gaza will break Hamas’s rule and hasten the war’s end.
Defense Minister Israel Katz paid a frontline visit to the 162nd Division as it launched its offensive into Gaza City, receiving an extensive operational briefing from division commanders and personally commending the soldiers for their performance.
Katz framed the operation in stark, strategic terms: the objective is decisive — to shatter Hamas’s power, maximize leverage for the release of hostages, and protect Israeli forces. “I am full of appreciation for what this division has done until now,” he told troops. “Right now we are at the most significant point to win this campaign. From Hamas we need only two things — release all the hostages and disarm — and they will not give them willingly.”
The minister argued that intensifying the offensive serves a dual purpose: it directly degrades Hamas’s fighting capacity and strengthens Israel’s bargaining position to secure the return of captives. “Only when we decided that we were taking control of Gaza did they return to discuss what they were not prepared to before,” Katz observed.
Addressing the fighting forces with a single, unambiguous order, Katz said: “The assault must be at full force for one consideration only — to protect the forces, your soldiers, the commanders here.” He urged commanders to employ every available means to minimize danger to Israeli troops during the assault.
Katz made clear why Gaza City is the focal point: it is the symbolic and operational heart of Hamas’s rule. “We want to take control of the city of Gaza because it is today the main symbol of Hamas’s rule. Today if Gaza falls, they will fall. And if they fall we can shorten the path to the objectives we want more quickly.”
He also addressed Gaza’s residents and the Hamas leadership directly, singling out the organization’s brutality: “The killers, the Sinwar brothers, destroyed Gaza, and if Izz ad-Din al-Haddad continues like this, he will destroy Gaza. They will pay the price and Gaza will be destroyed and will become a grave for those who murdered, raped, burned children, and committed all the acts of atrocity.”
Katz closed with a message of resolve and gratitude to the troops: “In the end this is a test of capabilities, of will and of achievements. If you and the other divisions act as you have and continue, I think there is also a breaking point that I hope we will reach and save much in the way to achieve the goal. I want to thank you, wish you also a good year, much health, security and success. Thank you very much.”
The minister’s visit underscored a clear doctrine: concentrated, relentless pressure on Gaza City is the pathway to dismantling Hamas’s command structure, securing the release of hostages, and shortening the conflict — with force employed to prioritize the safety of Israeli soldiers and to bring strategic closure to the campaign.
