Winter criticizes Katz's Gaza statements, calls for action over empty threats

Brig.-Gen. (res.) Ofer Winter, chairman of the People of Israel party, criticized Defense Minister Israel Katz for making threats regarding Gaza that Winter says lack follow-through. Winter argued that Hamas will not take such threats seriously, citing the October 7 abductions as evidence. He called for a shift from reactive containment to proactive, decisive action.

Brig.-Gen. (res.) Ofer Winter, chairman of the People of Israel party, publicly criticized Defense Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday for issuing what Winter characterized as empty threats regarding Gaza. Katz had stated that if Hamas takes a single Israeli hostage, the remains of Gaza City would be destroyed and around one million Gazans would be forced to evacuate, in response to threats from Turkey, Iran, and their proxies. Winter countered that such threats substitute for real action, arguing that Hamas will not take them seriously because 251 people were abducted on October 7 and no such evacuation or destruction followed. "Stop making threats if you don't intend to follow through...it certainly isn't security, and it certainly isn't victory," Winter said. He called for a shift from "a policy of reacting and containing to one of taking the initiative and securing a decisive outcome." Winter concluded by stating that his party will be strong in the upcoming elections to ensure past failures are not repeated. The article reports Winter's critique without adopting his framing in its own narrative voice.