Israel Defense Minister Katz Suggests Turkey Take in Hamas Members from Gaza, Repeats Call for Mass Relocation
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JERUSALEM (Terror Monitor) — Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday suggested that Turkey should offer refuge to Hamas members from Gaza, while reiterating his call for the relocation of the territory’s roughly two million residents, who have been devastated by the ongoing war.
Katz, known for his outspoken remarks, made the comments amid growing tensions between Israel and Turkey.
“Israel will continue operating to achieve its security objectives and ensure that a threat like October 7 does not emerge again,” Katz wrote on X, referring to Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war.
Katz added that if Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wanted to help his “brothers and like-minded people in Gaza,” he should invite them to move to Antalya, saying there was plenty of space there in the absence of Israeli tourists.
Antalya is a major Turkish coastal and tourism center that was once a popular destination for Israeli visitors before relations between the two countries deteriorated.
Erdogan is a strong critic of Israel and has allowed Hamas leaders to maintain a presence in Istanbul.
Tensions between Ankara and Jerusalem have also intensified over developments in Syria. Israel carried out an airstrike on an air base in northern Syria in August, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Turkey of seeking to establish a military base in Syria.
Turkey responded by saying it had asked Interpol to take action against Netanyahu over allegations of genocide.
On Wednesday, Katz said around 70 percent of Gaza’s population had already left the territory. He said the Israeli military was prepared to facilitate the relocation of the remaining population as part of a broader displacement plan.
Earlier this month, Katz said Israel was preparing to relocate Palestinians from Gaza by land and sea. He said Israel was awaiting a U.S. decision on where the roughly two million Palestinians would be relocated.
Katz has described the proposed relocation as “voluntary.”
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