Foreign Minister Israel Katz explained how Israel has managed to inflict significant damage and cause a strategic shift within the Hamas terrorist organization during the war in a Friday interview with The Wall Street Journal.
Katz began by addressing the hostage deal negotiations, pointing out that the continuous pressure Israel has put on Hamas has caused the terror group to understand that "there will be no ceasefire without a hostage deal."
Furthermore, Katz noted the importance of the IDF's entry into Rafah: "The IDF is acting aggressively against the terrorists in Gaza. Especially important was entering Rafah,” Katz explained.
“Hamas is under much more pressure now. That’s what made the difference," he added.
Katz described the challenges of reaching this point in the war with Hamas, as Israel faced pressure from the West to avoid a military operation in Rafah and had needed to hold its ground.
"I sat with foreign ministers, and they told me, ‘Don’t go to Rafah, don’t go to Rafah. It’ll be a mess.’ And I told them, ‘What are you saying? You believe that we can leave Hamas in Rafah, and so five minutes after we withdraw, they will take all of Gaza?’”
He then explained the success of the operation and the importance of not yielding to the West's objections to the invasion."We were right. Everyone knows it now, even the US because everyone warned that it would be a catastrophe. It’s a war, yes. It’s not a picnic. But they said that it would take four months to evacuate the population. It took only days," Katz said.
Elaborating on Western reactions and the continuing pressure on Hamas, Katz said that in order for there to be a hostage deal, the head of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar, must "understand that he doesn’t have any other choice."
Katz also addressed the Iran threat and Islamic Republic in his interview, describing the country to be "like an egg: hard on the outside but soft on the inside. From the inside, most of the people in Iran are against the regime. The economy is weak, still weak. And after we saw the helicopter crash, maybe the Iranian army is not so modern.”
“Press Iran. If you want to prevent war, the way to prevent war is to pressure Iran and explain to Iran what the cost will be," Katz explained.
Israel and Hezbollah
In regards to Hezbollah and Israel's situation on the northern front, Katz explained the high tensions and likelihood of a war. He also added that contentious pressure on Iran has the potential to prevent war in the North from breaking out.
“All-out war is very close. We don’t want it, and maybe they don’t want it. But it can’t remain like this. I’m telling you, press Iran. If you want to prevent war, the way to prevent war is to pressure Iran and explain to Iran what the cost will be," Katz said.
He emphasized that it is not Israel who wants to engage in a war with Hezbollah.
Asking for international support
Turning to Israel's allies and the rest of the world, Katz explained the importance of international support.
"Israel can’t stand alone: We need you to back us and to let our enemies know that you back us. This is not a regular war. Iran and Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis and the Shiite militias—they want to eliminate Israel. To destroy Israel. It’s not a game. We don’t have another homeland," he said.
“It’s not like the Holocaust. I’m a son of Holocaust survivors, may they rest in peace. I heard the stories from my mother, and I know everything. It’s not the Holocaust—but it’s the same intent. If they would have the power to do the same thing, they would do it," Katz concluded.