CAIRO/JERUSALEM: Israel on Monday issued what it called a final warning to Hamas, demanding the militant group release the remaining 48 hostages seized in the 2023 attacks and surrender, or face a devastating escalation in Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged residents of Gaza City to evacuate, declaring, “You have been warned—get out of there!” He said Israeli forces had already destroyed 50 “terror towers” as a prelude to an expanded ground offensive.
Defence Minister Israel Katz reinforced the threat: “A mighty hurricane will hit the skies of Gaza City today, and the roofs of the terror towers will shake. Release the hostages and lay down your weapons—or Gaza will be destroyed, and you’ll be annihilated.”
Residents reported intensified airstrikes across Gaza City, along with explosions in streets where old armoured vehicles were targeted. Hours after urging civilians to leave, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) bombed a 12-floor residential block that had housed displaced families, forcing hundreds more to flee.
The warning coincided with renewed US efforts to broker a ceasefire. A proposal delivered Sunday would require Hamas to return all living and dead hostages on the first day of a truce. President Trump reportedly told Hamas this was its “last chance” to avoid destruction.
Hamas, however, reiterated that it would release hostages only as part of a broader agreement that guarantees a complete end to the war and the withdrawal of Israeli troops.
The fighting continues to exact a toll: Israel said four of its soldiers were killed Monday, while Palestinian medics reported 25 deaths, including journalist Osama Balousha.
