Israel has escalated its warnings to Hamas, with Defence Minister Israel Katz declaring that Gaza City will be destroyed unless the group agrees to disarm and release all remaining hostages.
Katz issued the stark message on Friday, writing on social media: “Soon, the gates of hell will open upon the heads of Hamas’s murderers and rapists in Gaza – until they agree to Israel’s conditions for ending the war, primarily the release of all hostages and their disarmament. If they do not agree, Gaza, the capital of Hamas, will become Rafah and Beit Hanoun.” Both Rafah and Beit Hanoun have been reduced to rubble during earlier Israeli offensives.
The warning follows Israel’s cabinet approval of a large-scale assault on Gaza City, despite strong international opposition and concerns over a worsening humanitarian crisis. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have already instructed medical officials and aid agencies to prepare for the evacuation of more than one million civilians from the city ahead of the operation.
On Monday, Hamas accepted a proposal by Qatari and Egyptian mediators for a 60-day ceasefire, which would include the release of half of the remaining hostages. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the plan, insisting negotiations would only proceed for the release of all hostages under terms “acceptable to Israel.”
Netanyahu reinforced the message during a visit to the IDF’s Gaza division headquarters, stating: “I have come to approve the IDF’s plans to take control of Gaza City and defeat Hamas. These two matters – defeating Hamas and releasing all our hostages – go hand in hand.”
Israel believes that just 20 of the 50 remaining hostages are still alive after 22 months of conflict.
The war, triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack that killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and led to 251 hostages being taken, has devastated Gaza. According to the Hamas-run health ministry, at least 62,192 Palestinians have been killed. The UN has warned that relentless bombardment and displacement are driving Gaza toward famine, with humanitarian agencies struggling to sustain health and aid operations.
As preparations intensify for the offensive, fears mount that the destruction of Gaza City could deepen what the UN describes as an already catastrophic humanitarian situation.
