Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has threatened to turn Gaza City into rubble the same way as the northern town of Beit Hanoon, as the army expands its offensive to occupy the territory.
“Gaza City will look like Beit Hanoon,” Channel 12 quoted Katz as saying on Thursday during a meeting with rabbis from the far-right Religious Zionism Party.
On July 11, Katz shared an aerial image showing Beit Hanoun levelled by Israeli bombardment, boasting: “After Rafah in the south, Beit Hanoon.”
In June 2024, local Palestinian authorities declared Beit Hanoun a “disaster zone” amid massive destruction caused by a deadly Israeli assault in the area.
Rafah had previously been entirely devastated by the Israeli army.
The Religious Zionism Party, led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, has long advocated for the destruction of Gaza, forced displacement of Palestinians and the establishment of illegal settlements in the territory.
The defence minister’s threat came a day after he approved a plan to occupy Gaza City.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to endorse the plan despite the ongoing mediation efforts and a ceasefire proposal accepted by Hamas.
The plan envisions forcing nearly 1 million Palestinians southward, encircling the city, and carrying out ground raids into residential districts.
On August 11, as part of the first steps, the Israeli army launched a wide assault on the Zeitoun neighbourhood in southeastern Gaza City.
Witnesses said the assault involved blowing up homes with explosive-laden robots, artillery fire, indiscriminate shooting, and mass displacement.
Israel has killed nearly 62,200 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023.
The military offensive has devastated the enclave, which is facing an Israel-imposed starvation.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
