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Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Friday that he has instructed the IDF to seize additional territory in Gaza and expand security buffer zones surrounding the enclave, warning that continued refusal by Hamas to release hostages will result in the loss of more land “to be annexed by Israel.”
Katz said the IDF has been instructed to evacuate civilians from targeted areas and establish long-term Israeli control. “The more Hamas persists in its refusal to release the hostages, the more territory it will lose,” he declared. “I have directed the IDF to expand the maneuver, take control of more ground and hold it permanently to protect Israeli communities and soldiers.”
The minister affirmed Israel’s commitment to the U.S. hostage deal proposal put forward by President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. The plan calls for the release of all hostages—both living and deceased—in two phases, separated by a temporary ceasefire. “We are fully committed to this proposal, which does not compromise Israel’s security interests,” Katz said.
In the absence of progress, Katz warned of intensified military pressure. “We will escalate our campaign—by air, sea and ground—until the hostages are freed and Hamas is defeated,” he said, vowing to use “all military and civilian means of pressure.”
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IDF airstrikes in Khan Younis, Gaza
The defense minister also referenced former Trump’s previously floated plan for “voluntary relocation” of Gaza residents, saying Israel would implement population transfers southward in line with that vision, without elaborating further.
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The announcement came as tensions over the hostage negotiations deepened. On Friday, Hamas released a strongly worded statement accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of sabotaging efforts to reach a deal. The group claimed that comments made by outgoing Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar reveal “Netanyahu’s deliberate manipulation of the negotiation process” for political purposes and “his efforts to derail agreements after they were already within reach.”
Bar, dismissed by the government early Friday, wrote in a letter to ministers that the recent hostage deal was "personally led by me, with the knowledge of the prime minister," and approved by Netanyahu and the Cabinet. He rejected Netanyahu's claim of a breakdown in trust, writing: “There is no basis for claims of mistrust, unless the true intention—apparently misunderstood by me—was to hold talks without actually reaching an agreement.”
Hamas seized on Bar’s remarks, accusing Netanyahu of being “the real obstacle” to any deal. “His efforts to remove key security officials from the talks reflect his internal political crisis and growing distrust between him and Israel’s security establishment,” Hamas said in its statement. “This confirms that Netanyahu engineered the talks as a time-wasting maneuver, with no intention of achieving tangible results.”
The group also sought to drive a wedge between Jerusalem and Washington, calling on U.S. officials to “stop blaming Hamas for failed agreements” and to “hold Netanyahu accountable for the ongoing suffering of the hostages and their families.”