The Palestine Chronicle / May 18, 2023
Far-right Israeli minister of National Infrastructure, Energy, and Water, Yisrael Katz, threatened to assassinate top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, at the provocative ‘Flag March’ in Jerusalem, The New Arab reported.
Katz took part in the parade wearing a scarf of the Israeli football club, Beitar Jerusalem, which is known for its racism among Israeli football teams and supported by the terrorist organization La Familia.
Katz reportedly threatened Palestinian factions in Gaza and their leaders with assassination if they dare to target the march, saying:
“(Hamas leader) Yahya Sinwar should also know that if he dares to do so, his fate will be the same as his friends in Islamic Jihad,” – referring to the assassinations carried out by Israel during its latest bombardment on Gaza.
Katz took advantage of the speech he delivered in front of the far-right Jewish settlers to emphasize that “this government will make judicial amendments and strengthen Jerusalem, the land of Israel and the Israeli people.”
Tensions are high in Jerusalem as tens of thousands of illegal Jewish settlers are expected to march through the Palestinian quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City.
Other Israeli ministers also took part in the provocative parade, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and Transportation Minister Miri Regev.
The event is notorious for scenes of Israelis chanting racist slogans such as “Death to the Arabs [Palestinians]” and harassing Palestinians as they parade through the Old City.
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Israel: minister threatens to assassinate senior Hamas leaders in Gaza Strip
Middle East Monitor / May 10, 2023
Israel’s Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Israel Katz, threatened yesterday to assassinate the head of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar, and other senior officials if the movement joins any response by Islamic Jihad to the assassination of three of its leaders, Anadolu has reported.
“There is a clear message here to Hamas,” Katz told Israel’s Kan 11 News. “If you join in the violence and the firing, [Yahya] Sinwar and [Mohammed] Deif, they will be the first targets we will work to eliminate.”
If they try to harm us, warned Katz, they will be harmed much more severely. “We are preparing for the possibility of one response or another and will retaliate accordingly.”
At dawn on Tuesday, the Israeli army launched a military operation against the Gaza Strip which resulted in the killing of 15 Palestinians, including four children and four women, and three leaders of the Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad.
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TWO YEARS EARLIER
Israel threatens to kill Hamas leaders over rocket fire from Gaza
Middle East Monitor / May 23, 2021
Israel’s Finance Minister Yisrael Katz on Sunday threatened to assassinate Hamas leaders over any rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, reports Anadolu Agency.
Speaking to the Reshet Bet local radio station, Katz said any rocket fire into southern Israel will be avenged with killing Hamas leaders, stressing that this policy was agreed by the Israeli security cabinet before approving a cease-fire on Friday.
Katz also said the rebuilding of the Gaza Strip will be conditional on the return of Israeli soldiers missing in Palestinian territory.
On Friday, an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire between Palestinian resistance groups and Israel came into effect, putting an end to 11 days of fighting.
At least 248 Palestinians were killed, including 66 children and 39 women, and 1,948 others injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Health authorities in the West Bank have separately confirmed 31 killed in that region, totaling 279 across all Palestinian territories.
Twelve Israelis were also killed by Palestinian rocket fire from the Gaza Strip.
