Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that Iranian nuclear sites are now "more exposed than ever" to Israeli strikes, emphasizing the opportunity to eliminate what he termed an existential threat to Israel during a meeting with military officials.

Katz shared his remarks on social media platform X, posting an image from the November 11, 2024 meeting. He declared, "Iran is more vulnerable than ever to our strikes targeting its nuclear facilities. We have the chance to achieve our primary goal: to eliminate the existential threat to the State of Israel."

This statement comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, where the conflict has spread beyond Gaza into Lebanon, where Israeli ground operations are ongoing. Iranian-backed groups, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, continue to launch drone and missile attacks against Israel.

Additionally, the Israeli Finance Ministry announced that expenditures related to the ongoing conflict with Hamas and Hezbollah have surpassed 106 billion shekels (approximately $28.4 billion) since October 2023. The ministry reported a budget deficit of 11.2 billion shekels for October.

The surprise attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023, resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people in Israel, the majority being civilians, including women and children, along with approximately 250 hostages taken. In contrast, over 43,000 Palestinians, predominantly civilians and many of whom are women and children, have reportedly been killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza since the onset of the war, according to data from the Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip.