Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, has issued a stern warning to Hamas, demanding the immediate release of hostages and an end to its armed resistance or risk what he described as total annihilation.
The warning comes amid escalating Israeli airstrikes around Gaza City, which the military has vowed to capture in its bid to bring an end to nearly two years of conflict. On Sunday alone, at least 48 Palestinians were reported killed in Israeli strikes, with another 10 deaths recorded overnight in the city’s outskirts, according to Gaza’s civil defence agency.
Hamas, whose October 2023 assault on Israel triggered the ongoing war, responded shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump issued his own ultimatum, saying the group was prepared for immediate negotiations. However, its demands — including a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the establishment of a Palestinian-led governing committee — largely mirror previous positions.
In his statement on X, Katz declared:
“This is a final warning to the Hamas murderers and rapists in Gaza and in luxury hotels abroad: Release the hostages and put down your weapons — or Gaza will be destroyed and you will be annihilated. Today, a massive hurricane will hit the skies of Gaza City and the roofs of the terror towers will tremble.”
The Israeli military, while not officially announcing the start of a ground push to seize Gaza City, has targeted several high-rise buildings in recent days, alleging they were being used by Hamas for surveillance of Israeli troops. Hamas has denied using residential structures for military purposes.
Trump, in his latest remarks, said Hamas must now accept his proposal for a hostage release deal, stressing this was his “last warning.” He noted that Israel had already accepted the terms and urged Hamas to follow suit, without disclosing full details of the proposal. Reports indicate that U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff recently presented Hamas with fresh ideas for a ceasefire and hostage exchange.
“I think we’re going to have a deal on Gaza very soon,” Trump told reporters, portraying the negotiations as promising.
Hamas, meanwhile, insists on guarantees for a permanent end to the war, withdrawal of Israeli forces, and immediate Palestinian self-governance in Gaza.
The conflict, which began with Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack that killed 1,219 people in Israel, has since claimed over 64,000 Palestinian lives, according to health authorities in Gaza whose figures are regarded by the United Nations as credible. The overwhelming majority of the victims on both sides have been civilians.
