Defense Minister Israel Katz slams Hamas for turning Gaza into a ruin and vows explosive consequences if hostages are not released, as pressure builds on Israel’s leadership to abandon talks and crush the terror group.
Jerusalem —
In a fiery escalation of rhetoric, Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a chilling warning to Hamas leadership, accusing them of orchestrating Gaza’s destruction and vowing that the “gates of hell will open” if hostages are not freed immediately.
“The Sinwar brothers have turned Gaza into ruins,” Katz declared. “While Az Ad-Din Al-Haddad accelerates the wreckage, Hamas elites are luxuriating in foreign palaces, holding innocent lives hostage and laughing at the suffering of their own people. That ends now.”
Katz’s thunderous rebuke comes amid stalled hostage negotiations, with Hamas continuing to resist international mediation. Sources report that Hamas’s latest response to a proposed deal has been deemed unacceptable by all mediators involved.
The mounting frustration in Jerusalem is echoing across the Security Cabinet.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged a total military escalation:
“Close the door on half-measures. It’s time for the IDF to storm Gaza, implement the humanitarian separation plan, and either force Hamas to release the hostages unconditionally—or erase them entirely. Now is the time for victory!”
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir echoed the call for zero compromise:
“Humanitarian aid, negotiations, concessions—this charade only fuels Hamas’s arrogance. Talking to terrorists has brought us nothing but blood and blackmail. It’s time to stop playing defense and start delivering justice. No more deals. No more aid. Destroy Hamas.”
Reports from Palestinian sources suggest Hamas’s leadership abroad is stonewalling any real progress, with mediators reportedly delivering a harsh ultimatum demanding that Hamas show immediate and dramatic flexibility—or risk being left behind in the wreckage of their own making.
