Daijiworld Media Network - Jerusalem

Jerusalem, Sep 8: Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz on Monday delivered a stark ultimatum to Hamas, warning that a “powerful hurricane” of military force would strike Gaza City later in the day unless hostages are released and weapons are surrendered.

In a forceful statement on X (formerly Twitter), Katz said the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) are prepared to expand their ground maneuver, with the clear objective of defeating Hamas across the Gaza Strip.

“This is a final warning to the Hamas murderers and rapists in Gaza and in luxury hotels abroad: Release the hostages and lay down your weapons — or Gaza will be destroyed and you will be destroyed,” Katz wrote.

His remarks come ahead of a planned full-scale Israeli offensive to take control of Gaza City, a densely populated area in the northern Strip where over a million civilians were sheltering before recent waves of evacuations.

Over 100,000 residents have reportedly fled the region in the past week, following warnings issued by the Israeli military. The IDF has intensified its operations, targeting one high-rise building per day in Gaza City, asserting that the structures were being used by Hamas operatives. Sunday’s airstrike marked the third such strike in recent days, each conducted after issuing repeated evacuation alerts.

While the IDF says the strikes are aimed at degrading Hamas infrastructure and encouraging civilian departures, the growing destruction has raised humanitarian concerns. On Sunday, Gaza militants fired rockets toward Israel for the first time in three weeks, though there were no reports of casualties or damage.

Katz’s remarks underscore the Israeli government’s escalating pressure campaign against Hamas, amid what appears to be a decisive push toward a ground incursion into Gaza City.