Gaza City, Palestine – In a strong warning, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated on Friday that Gaza City could be destroyed if Hamas does not accept Israel’s terms for ending the war. Katz’s remarks come as Israel prepares to expand its offensive in the region, a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would give a green light to the military to seize Gaza City.
Katz used a post on X to issue his warning, saying, “All gates of hell will open on the heads of Hamas’ murderers and rapists in Gaza — until they agree to Israel’s conditions for ending the war.” He added that if Hamas does not agree, the enclave’s largest city could “turn into Rafah and Beit Hanoun,” referring to other areas in the region that have been reduced to rubble during the conflict.
Israel’s stated conditions for a ceasefire are the release of all remaining hostages and the complete disarmament of Hamas. Hamas has said it would release the captives in exchange for an end to the war but has rejected the demand to drop its arms without the creation of a Palestinian state.
The Israeli military operation in Gaza began after the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and the abduction of 251 others. According to the Gaza health ministry, at least 62,192 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war.