TEL AVIV, November 6. /TASS/. Israel Katz, who has been appointed as Israel’s defense minister by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, sees the return of hostages held in Gaza as a top priority, as he himself said.

"I would like to thank Prime Minister Netanyahu for the trust he placed in me in appointing me to the position of defense minister. We will work together to march towards victory over our enemies and achieve the goals of the war: the return of those kidnapped, which is the most important mission, the destruction of Hamas in Gaza, the defeat of Hezbollah in Lebanon, the containment of Iran’s aggression and the safe return of residents of northern and southern Israel to their homes," Katz wrote on the X social media platform.

On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and appointed Foreign Minister Israel Katz to replace him. He also offered Gideon Saar, a minister without a portfolio, to take the position of the country’s foreign minister. According to the Ynet news outlet, the new appointments will be submitted to the government for approval on November 7.

Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants staged a surprise attack on Israeli territory from Gaza, killing residents of Israeli border settlements and taking over 250 hostages. Hamas described its attack as retaliation for the aggressive actions taken by Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City. In response, Israel declared a total blockade of the Gaza Strip, launching air strikes on Gaza as well as some parts of Lebanon and Syria before starting a ground operation in the Palestinian enclave.

According to the latest data from Israel, radicals still hold 101 hostages in Gaza.

On September 23, Israel launched Operation Northern Arrows against the Lebanon-based Hezbollah Shia movement, carrying out massive airstrikes on its military targets. The stated goal is to create safe conditions for the return of local residents to Israel’s northern border areas. A September 27 strike on Beirut killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. The Israeli army announced the start of a ground operation in the border areas of southern Lebanon on October 1.