Two years and nine months after the October 7 massacre, the landscape of the Gaza Strip has changed beyond recognition. Where Hamas terror strongholds once stood, rubble now testifies to the IDF’s power. Channel 14 joined Defense Minister Israel Katz on an exclusive tour of northern Gaza yesterday, alongside the IDF’s top brass, for an interview that maps out the current battle and the day after.
Right at the start of the tour, Katz made clear the policy shift. Asked what he feels seeing the destroyed Gaza, the minister responded without hesitation: “I feel good, what? Thank God. This is all the result of a deliberate policy aimed at removing threats. Instead of the raid method—going in and out—the IDF is inside, the terrorists are outside, and the houses are destroyed.” The tour was conducted with Deputy Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai, Southern Command Chief Maj. Gen. Yanniv Assor, and field commanders. The figures presented to the minister reflect high operational control: the IDF currently controls about 65% of the Strip’s territory, with the military estimating some 70,000 terrorists have been eliminated or neutralized since the war began.
Settlement on the Table: Nahal Outposts in Northern Gaza
One of the dramatic moments of the tour came when Katz set a new strategic goal: establishing a permanent Jewish presence in northern Gaza. “I intend to establish three Nahal outposts, which is also a military entity, in those places that were in northern Gaza,” the defense minister declared. According to him, this step is essential for security: “This will improve the hold and defense of the communities. It’s something that’s needed at the right time.”
Division 99 Commander Brig. Gen. Yoav Bruner presented the new control map, which includes the “holding area” and security zones preventing Hamas from recovering. Southern Command Chief Assor added: “They’re feeling hunted, and we need to keep pressing on their necks. Just recently, in Operation Roaring Lion, we carried out 300 thwarting operations.”
Inside the Tunnel That Reached Nahal Oz
The minister and senior military officials descended into the depths of the earth, to a significant underground infrastructure that was exposed. The tunnel, which served Hamas terrorists, included water infrastructure connected to civilian homes above, bathrooms, and logistical storage. “This reached all the way to Nahal Oz,” Assor explained to the defense minister. “It was supposed to penetrate right into the community.”
Defense Minister Katz’s message at the end of the tour was directed not only at Gaza, but at the entire modern-day Axis of Evil. “In Syria, in Lebanon, in Gaza, in Iran and in Yemen—facing enemies, we don’t contain, don’t wait, and don’t fold. Exactly the opposite of what happened until now.” Deputy Chief of Staff Yadai summed up the feelings of commanders and fighters in the field: “I don’t know how to describe this other than victory. There’s absolute freedom of operation here.” The soldiers who met with the minister also expressed high determination: “If there’s attrition—there’s determination times 200, and that’s the most important thing.”