Defense Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday that the Oct. 7, 2023 attack taught Israel not to wait for threats to materialize. He claimed that Israel executed two "proactive preemptive attacks" on Iran, crushing its nuclear program and removing an existential threat, according to the Jerusalem Post.
In a Wednesday interview, Defense Minister Israel Katz explicitly tied Israel's strikes on Iran to the lessons of the Oct. 7, 2023 attack, saying the assault taught Israel not to wait for threats to materialize. Katz claimed Israel executed two "proactive preemptive attacks" that "crushed the nuclear program it was advancing and removed an existential threat," according to the Jerusalem Post. This marks a sharper framing of the remarks he made earlier Wednesday at the state memorial for the 2006 Second Lebanon War, where The Zioneer first reported (Wed 12:01 Jerusalem) that Katz said Israel had struck Iran twice and would do so a third time if needed — but without linking the operations to Oct. 7.
Over the preceding weeks, Katz has progressively escalated his public posturing on Iran. On June 10 (Wed 20:37 Jerusalem), The Zioneer reported Katz declaring at the Israel Security Award ceremony that the campaign against Iran is "far from over" and the IDF is ready to strike with great force inside Iran. By June 18 (Thu 19:35 Jerusalem), Katz told Channel 14 that Israel had "eliminated" Iran's nuclear program and must ensure it does not return. On June 25 (Thu 18:43 Jerusalem), he warned at an IDF graduation that an Iranian attack over Lebanon would draw a full-force response. And on June 29 (Mon 22:49 Jerusalem), Katz said renewed escalation with Iran could come "within two days," with the IDF on alert to strike.
As The Zioneer has reported, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said on June 8 (Mon 18:34 Jerusalem) that Israel had eliminated the nuclear threat from Iran and would respond forcefully if attacked. Katz's Wednesday interview is the first occasion in which he explicitly framed the strikes as a direct consequence of the Oct. 7 doctrine, rather than as part of a broader operational campaign.
Katz did not specify dates, locations, or the scope of the claimed strikes. The quote is sourced via the Jerusalem Post; no on-the-record confirmation from the IDF, the Prime Minister's Office, or the Defense Ministry has been published. The new framing — Oct. 7 as the rationale for preemptive action — has not been independently corroborated by other officials or agencies. Previous warnings of imminent escalation, notably Katz's own prediction of renewed confrontation within days as of June 29, have not yet been realized.
2 developments
- DevelopingDefense Minister Katz: 'The lesson of October 7 — IDF must remain beyond the border, not withdraw from security zone'
- StrongKatz warns of renewed escalation with Iran 'within 2 days', says IDF ready to strike
- DevelopingIsrael's Katz: Campaign against Iran far from over; IDF ready to strike Iran with great force
- StrongKatz warns Iran: Any attack on Israel over Lebanon will draw 'full-force' response
Source and signal
- Internal intake