Israel Katz says military ready to eliminate Hamas for Gaza migration plan

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated on Wednesday that the Israel Defence Forces are prepared to "eliminate Hamas" in Gaza to enable a proposed "migration plan" for Palestinians. Katz made the remarks in a statement on September 16, responding to criticism from a political rival ahead of Israel's October 27 election. Katz said the military had already evacuated residents from 70 percent of the Gaza Strip and was ready to act if authorized to "finish the job." He linked the military objective directly to the implementation of the migration plan, which he described as voluntary. "We all understand that this is not going to happen and the IDF is prepared, once given the directive to eliminate Hamas, to finish the job so that we can also implement the migration plan," Katz said. The defence minister claimed the initiative could be expanded if the United States revived the proposal and encouraged countries to accept Palestinians leaving Gaza. He said earlier this month that Israel was ready to facilitate departures by land and sea but was waiting for the U.S. to discuss relocation destinations. U.S.