Defense Minister Katz demands IDF present plan to destroy Hamas if hostages not released

The Defense Minister added that considerations of post-war governance in Gaza were irrelevant with Hamas still standing.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

During a high-level security meeting, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz urged the IDF to draft a plan to completely destroy Hamas if the hostages are not released by the time Donald Trump takes office as US President.

Also attending the meeting were  IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and Defense Ministry Director-General Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir and senior military commanders.

Katz also cautioned the IDF to consider what issues may create obstacles, such as the humanitarian aspect and encouraged them to make the plan flexible enough to allow the political echelon to make necessary decisions.

The Defense Minister added that considerations of post-war governance in Gaza were irrelevant with Hamas still standing, since no nation or group, whether Arab or not, is interested in taking responsibility for running Gaza while the terror group still has a strong presence there.

Katz said a plan that signaled a change of direction and decisive action against Hamas was needed to avoid the conflict from becoming a quagmire and a war of attrition with no progress on the release of hostages.

Katz said, “We must not let ourselves be dragged into a drawn-out war of attrition while hostages remain trapped in Hamas tunnels, their lives at risk and suffering greatly.”

He added, “The commanders and soldiers of the IDF, both active and reserve, are performing heroically and achieving remarkable success.

However, alongside these efforts, we must adjust our strategy to ensure the elimination of Hamas and bring the war to an end. We cannot afford to be drawn into a costly war of attrition that would prevent us from achieving a decisive victory—one that delivers a total strategic defeat of Hamas and brings the conflict in Gaza to a close.”

The plan focused on a total defeat of Hamas is likely to be focused in part on destroying the terror group’s military capabilities and infrastructure in Nuseirat and Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, where many of the hostages are held.

One of the reasons the IDF has held back is the fear of harming hostages during these operations.