JAKARTA - Israeli Defense Minister Katz said the Gaza Strip would be destroyed if the Palestinian militant group Hamas did not release the hostages and strip their weapons.
He said that when Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) began their massive ground offensive in Gaza City
"From Hamas, we only need two things, and they will not provide them voluntarily: free all hostages and strip off weapons. Great force attacks here... directly beat Hamas, and also created a greater push for the release of the hostages," Katz said during a visit to the 162nd Division headquarters, whose forces are currently operating in Gaza City, quoted from The Times of Israel September 16.
"We want to control Gaza City because at this time the city is a symbol of the main Hamas government. Today, if Gaza is destroyed, they will be destroyed," he said.
Katz said "the violent Sinwar brothers," Yahya and Muhammad, who led terror groups in the Gaza Strip before they were killed by Israel, "destroyed Gaza, and if the al-Din Haddad Izz continues like this, it will destroy Gaza," referring to the new Hamas military leader in Gaza.
"They will pay the price and Gaza will be destroyed," he added.
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As previously reported, Israel announced the start of land operations to Gaza City on Tuesday. An Israeli military official said the IDF had started the main stage of their ground operations to Gaza City, the main city center in the enclave, where Israel had ordered hundreds of thousands of residents to evacuate.
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