Israel Katz Orders Hunt for Remaining Oct. 7 Attackers

About 4,000 of roughly 6,000 people whom Israel says crossed from Gaza during the 7 October 2023 attack had been killed by 5 October 2026, Defense Minister Israel Katz (opens in a new tab) said. He said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (opens in a new tab) ordered the security services to pursue the roughly 2,000 remaining alleged participants "without limitation and under any circumstances."

As of 6 October 2026, the order was being carried out against the background of a Gaza ceasefire that had reduced but not ended lethal violence. Reuters reported more than 1,400 Palestinians killed during the ceasefire period, citing Gaza health authorities, while Israel said it was responding to threats and violations.

What exactly did Katz order?

Katz said the figures came from Military Intelligence Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder. The 5 October order covered participants "from the most senior to the most junior," according to the Times of Israel.

The Shin Bet's Nili unit, created after 7 October to track people accused of taking part in the attack, was identified by the Times of Israel as leading the pursuit. Binder's language was equally absolute. The Jerusalem Post quoted him saying: "There are 2,000 remaining, and we will get to every last one of them."

Israel's strongest defence is that the people being pursued participated in a mass attack that killed civilians and took hostages and that bringing them to justice remains a security obligation. The legal and humanitarian issue is what "without limitation" means in practice when targets may be located among civilians or outside an active battlefield.

Why do the numbers matter?

Katz's 2026 figure also differs from earlier Israeli estimates. The Times of Israel noted that the IDF had previously estimated roughly 5,600 people entered Israel on 7 October and that about 1,200 to 1,600 were killed inside Israel during the attack. Katz cited 6,000 participants and 4,000 killed overall after three years of war and targeted operations.

The change does not necessarily mean one count was deliberately false; wartime intelligence estimates are revised as identities and deaths are reassessed. But the shift is important because the government is using those numbers to define the remaining target set for an ongoing lethal campaign.

How does the order fit with the Gaza ceasefire?

The contradiction is direct. Israel accepted a ceasefire framework, yet its defence minister publicly promised pursuit "without limitation and under any circumstances." A ceasefire can permit responses to threats or agreed security operations, but Katz's wording describes an open-ended objective rather than a narrow response to an immediate breach.

That is why the order raises military escalation risk (opens in a new tab) and intersects with the continuing Israel-Gaza war (opens in a new tab). Reuters reported that Israeli fire continued during the ceasefire year and that the Palestinian death toll passed 1,400, while Israel accused Hamas of violations and retained forces in parts of Gaza.

What about hostages and their families?

The political pressure around war aims is not limited to the security cabinet. The families of hostages built a national advocacy network (opens in a new tab) after the attack and repeatedly pressed the government over priorities between military operations and recovery of captives.

For civilians, the next test is whether operations carried out by Nili, the IDF or other services under Katz's order increase strikes, raids or restrictions that further weaken humanitarian access (opens in a new tab). For accountability, the receipts are unusually explicit: Katz announced the order, Binder supplied the count and promised pursuit of every remaining target, and a named Shin Bet unit is leading the hunt.

Background: Gaza ceasefire death toll, October 5 (opens in a new tab)

Questions people ask

What did Israel Katz say about October 7 attackers?

Katz said about 4,000 of roughly 6,000 alleged participants had been killed and that Israeli security bodies were ordered to pursue the remaining roughly 2,000 "without limitation and under any circumstances."

Who is Israel Katz?

Israel Katz is Israel's defence minister, in office since November 2024 after previous cabinet posts including foreign affairs, transport and finance.

Is the Gaza ceasefire still holding?

A ceasefire framework remained in place, but Israeli fire and other violence continued. Reuters reported more than 1,400 Palestinian deaths during the ceasefire year, while Israel cited continuing threats and violations.