Israeli Defense Minister Faces Backlash Over Comments on Gaza's Future

Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz is under fire after suggesting Gaza should be cleared of Palestinians, drawing sharp criticism from the White House.

Israel’s new Defense Minister, Israel Katz, is in hot water this week. He made comments suggesting that Israel should "finish the job" in Gaza. To him, that means moving Palestinians out of the area. His words have caused a lot of trouble. The White House, which is Israel’s biggest ally, pushed back hard. They criticized Katz for talking about encouraging people to leave Gaza. The U.S. government says it is still working to make sure Hamas—the group that controls Gaza—is disarmed. They want a future where Hamas does not have weapons, but they are not backing the idea of forcing people to l…