Defense Minister Israel Katz orders the IDF to prepare for decisive war as Hamas’s failure to hand over all hostages’ remains threatens to derail Trump’s ceasefire roadmap.
In a decisive move signaling Israel’s resolve, Defense Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday ordered the IDF to draw up a comprehensive operational plan to annihilate Hamas in Gaza if the terror group rejects President Donald Trump’s U.S.-backed peace initiative and hostilities reignite.
During a high-level security meeting with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and senior defense officials, Katz made clear that Israel will not tolerate another cycle of deceit or defiance from Hamas. “If Hamas refuses peace, Israel will deliver a final and crushing military blow,” Katz declared.
According to the Defense Ministry, Trump’s plan outlines clear and uncompromising conditions:
- The immediate release of all living hostages,
- The return of the bodies of the fallen, and
- The complete disarmament of Hamas.
Under the framework, Israel—working in coordination with a U.S.-led international coalition—will oversee the dismantling of terror tunnels, rocket sites, and all militant infrastructure throughout Gaza, ensuring the enclave is fully demilitarized and no longer a threat to Israeli civilians.
“If Hamas fails to comply, Israel, alongside the United States, will resume combat operations until Hamas is totally defeated and Gaza is transformed into a region free of terror,” Katz affirmed.
Later that evening, Hamas handed over two coffins containing the remains of Israeli hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross, claiming that it has returned all surviving captives and all recoverable bodies. The group asserted that retrieving more remains would require “specialized equipment and time.”
Israeli officials flatly dismissed Hamas’s statement as a deception tactic, insisting that intelligence data shows the terror organization can still locate at least ten additional bodies buried in tunnels or mass graves.
In the coming days, Egyptian and Turkish recovery teams are expected to enter Gaza to assist in locating and retrieving the remaining victims — a process Jerusalem views as a humanitarian imperative and moral duty.
As diplomatic patience wears thin, Israel’s message rings with unmistakable clarity:
Peace will prevail only if Hamas is disarmed—or destroyed.
