“Today, a massive hurricane will strike over the skies of Gaza City, and the roofs of the terror towers will shake,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned on X in Hebrew on Monday morning.
“This is a final warning to the Hamas murderers and rapists in Gaza and in the luxury hotels abroad: Release the hostages and lay down your weapons—or Gaza will be destroyed, and you will be eliminated,” the minister continued, as the Israel Defense Forces steps up the conquest of Gaza City.
“The IDF continues as planned and is preparing to expand the maneuver to decisively defeat Gaza,” he said.
Katz delivered his statement amid reports that a “final deal” was put on the table for Hamas, which could end the war and return all 48 remaining hostages, both the living and the dead.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday: “I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning. There will not be another one.”
Also on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during the regular weekly Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem: “If I must choose victory over our enemy or a foul campaign against us—I choose victory.”
The Jewish state paid a heavy price in the global diplomatic and information arena during the war that Hamas started 23 months ago.
The premier said that the best way to address the issue was to establish “completely new mechanisms” to fight against Israel’s detractors, and to end the war “with the victory we defined” as quickly as possible.
“But with regard to the propaganda damage, I want to say one thing,” Netanyahu continued. “I don’t want articles saying we were defeated by our enemies and flattering obituaries in the international media. I choose victory.”
He continued: “Our effort in Gaza against the last strongholds—essentially the final significant stronghold, Gaza City—is part of our broader effort to complete the dismantling of the Iranian axis’s chokehold. This axis is aimed at destroying the State of Israel, and by dismantling and striking it, we are removing yet another existential threat to Israel: the primary one.
“We have inflicted very heavy blows on Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis—you saw this addition only recently—and we brought about the fall of the Assad regime. And, of course, the pinnacle was the severe blow dealt to the patron of this axis, Iran, and the removal of the existential threat of nuclear bombs and ballistic missiles from over our heads. We will continue this effort until all the objectives of the war are achieved,” Netanyahu said.
The prime minister confirmed the killing of a Hamas Nukhba terrorist who bragged to his parents about murdering 10 Jews during the Hamas-led invasion of the northwestern Negev on Oct. 7, 2023.
Netanyahu said the families of the victims were informed about his killing. “This is a clear message that we will reach everyone. I want to thank … the Shin Bet and the IDF for doing this important work,” he added.
The prime minister also addressed the “cruel and despicable video” that Hamas published on Friday, showing hostages Alon Ohel, 24, and Guy Gilboa-Dalal, 24, being driven in Gaza City.
“I must say that I spoke at length with their families on Friday and strengthened them on my behalf, on your behalf, on behalf of the entire people. And I must also say that the majority of Israeli citizens, the vast majority of Israeli citizens, stand firm in the face of this psychological terrorism,” he said.
With regard to the military offensive in the Strip, Netanyahu noted that around 100,000 Palestinians have left Gaza City thus far. “Hamas is trying to do everything to keep them from leaving so that they can act as a human shield for it,” he said.
“By the way, [Hamas] will use any means necessary. We only recently saw that it shoots women and children in the legs. … Therefore, it is expected that it will try to prevent their exit, which is obligatory both from a human point of view and from the point of view of our entire moral understanding of war. We want to focus on the terrorists and allow the civilian population to get out.”
