Rules in Gaza to change ‘very soon,’ Netanyahu warns Hamas

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a stern warning to Hamas on Thursday, declaring that the “rules are about to change” as the IDF prepares to expand its offensive in the Gaza Strip.

“To Hamas, I say one thing: The rules are about to change very soon,” Netanyahu said during a visit to reservists of the IDF’s 5th “HaSharon” Infantry Brigade at the Tze’elim training base in the Negev.

“I came to see firsthand the quality of our soldiers—our heroes—in preparation for the intense action we are about to undertake in Gaza,” he said in remarks released by the Prime Minister’s Office.

Netanyahu reiterated Israel’s two key objectives: “First—to defeat Hamas, to be victorious over Hamas, to eliminate Hamas. The second, of course, simultaneously—is to release our hostages.”

The prime minister also marked the anniversary of the 1972 rescue of hostages from Sabena Flight 571—a mission in which he participated, as a member of the General Staff Reconnaissance Unit (Sayeret Matkal), and was wounded. “The spirit has not changed—it is the exact same spirit I see here, pulsing among the soldiers and commanders, uniting everyone with one goal—to achieve a great victory.”

That victory at Lod Airport (today Ben-Gurion International Airport) over the Black September Organization, a Palestinian terrorist group, he added, extended beyond the battlefield: “It reverberates throughout the entire region.”

Under his leadership, Netanyahu said, Israel has changed the face of the Middle East by confronting threats from Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Assad regime in Syria. He also pointed to Israel’s recent actions against Iran, which he labeled a key sponsor of regional terrorism. “We still face challenges, but we have strong spirit, and that spirit is embodied by our military.”

The remarks came as the IDF continues operations throughout Gaza, targeting terrorist groups ahead of the expected launch of “Operation Gideon’s Chariots.” The campaign aims to dismantle Hamas and secure the release of 59 remaining hostages held since the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist invasion.

The IDF reported striking more than 150 terrorist targets across Gaza over the past 72 hours, including cells, underground infrastructure and command posts. Troops also dismantled Hamas infrastructure and killed gunmen in several areas.

In one strike in Gaza City on Wednesday, the IDF killed Muhammad Rasmi Marzouq Barakeh, part of Hamas’s intelligence division, who took part in the kidnapping of Yaffa Adar on Oct. 7. Adar, 85, a grandmother who was kidnapped from her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, was released as part of a ceasefire deal after 49 days in captivity.

Also on Wednesday, an IDF strike in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah area killed Nasr Sobhi Ibrahim Jumaa, a senior commander in Hamas’s rocket manufacturing unit, according to the Israeli military.

“Prior to the strike, steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians as much as possible, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance and additional intelligence,” the IDF stressed.

In the southern Strip, an IDF aircraft struck several terrorists who tried to plant an explosive device near troops, as well as a weapons depot and a structure from which gunmen had fired toward the soldiers.

Israeli troops are set to “act with great force” until all war goals for Gaza are achieved, Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday.

The entire population of the Strip will be evacuated to the southern part of the enclave during the fighting, and the IDF will stay in “every area that is taken,” the defense minister said.

“The operation is intended to defeat Hamas and bring about the release of all the hostages. We will act with great force to destroy all of Hamas’s military and governmental capabilities,” he told soldiers of the 162nd “Steel Formation” Armored Division, which is expected to take part in the campaign.

“From the moment the maneuver begins, we will act with great force and will not stop until all objectives are achieved,” Katz said.