Jerusalem, October 2026 : Israel has ordered its military to track down and kill the remaining participants in the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, Defence Minister Israel Katz said, putting their number at around 2,000.
Katz said on Monday that approximately 6,000 attackers had crossed into Israel during the October 7 assault, of whom around 4,000 had been killed. He said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had instructed the military to continue pursuing those still alive.
“We ordered the military to pursue and kill them all, from the most senior to the most junior,” Katz said, according to Xinhua news agency.
Netanyahu, speaking separately at a state memorial ceremony at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, said Israel would continue its efforts to pursue those responsible for the attack and the taking of hostages. He also reiterated Israel’s objective of ending Hamas’ rule in Gaza.
The October 7 attack triggered a prolonged Israeli military campaign in the Gaza Strip and significantly escalated tensions across the Middle East.
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly in September, Netanyahu rejected accusations that Israel was committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, describing the allegation as “the greatest lie of the century”.
He portrayed Israel as a country engaged in military confrontations on multiple fronts, naming Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, Iran, militias in Iraq and Syria, and Palestinian militants in the West Bank.
“They all ganged up on us to wipe us off the face of the Earth. They failed,” Netanyahu said.
Reflecting on the October 2023 attack, the Israeli Prime Minister said Israel had not collapsed but had responded militarily.
“When Hamas attacked Israel from Gaza in October 2023, we didn’t collapse. Instead, we rose and fought like lions,” he said.
Netanyahu also defended Israel’s military strikes against Iran, arguing that the operation had been necessary to protect the country.
The Hamas-led assault on October 7, 2023, killed about 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in the abduction of hostages. The attack prompted Israel to launch extensive military operations in Gaza.
According to Gaza health authorities, more than 74,200 people have been killed in the ensuing conflict. The figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Over nearly three years of military operations, Israel has also killed several senior Hamas leaders. Among those reported killed are Yahya Sinwar, who was regarded as a key figure behind the October 7 attack, and his younger brother Mohammad Sinwar.
The Israeli government has repeatedly said that dismantling Hamas’ military and governing capabilities and securing the release of hostages remain central objectives of its campaign. Katz’s latest remarks indicate that Israel intends to continue pursuing surviving members of the October 7 assault as part of that broader strategy.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
