Israeli defence chief declares remaining Gaza City inhabitants as Hamas allies

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has announced that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) are finalising control over the Netzarim axis on the western coast of Gaza, effectively cutting the enclave between its northern and southern parts.

According to Israeli media, Katz said that the move will tighten the siege around Gaza City, making it impossible to leave without passing through IDF checkpoints.

“This is the last chance for Gaza residents who want to move south and leave Hamas terrorists isolated in Gaza City in the face of the IDF's ongoing active operation. Those who remain in Gaza will be considered terrorists or accomplices to terror,” Katz declared.

The military operation is part of “Operation Gideon’s Chariots II,” a ground offensive launched on September 15, 2025, aimed at dismantling Hamas’s remaining strongholds in Gaza City — the Strip’s largest urban centre and home to nearly half of Gaza’s 2.1 million residents.

The decision to move forward with the offensive was taken on August 8, 2025, when Israel’s security cabinet approved it following the collapse of indirect ceasefire negotiations with Hamas the previous month.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly described the operation as crucial both to defeating Hamas and to securing the release of 48 remaining hostages, about 20 of whom are believed to be alive.

Despite Israel’s stated goals, the campaign has sparked domestic and international criticism over the heavy risks it poses to civilians living in Gaza, with human rights organisations warning of further humanitarian consequences as the fighting intensifies.

By Tamilla Hasanova