Israel’s Defence Minister issued a warning on Friday saying that the Gaza City will get destroyed if Hamas does not agree to Tel Aviv’s terms of disarming, and releasing all remaining hostages in the Palestinian territory to end the war. The warning came as the Israeli military prepares for an expanded offensive in the enclave. “Soon, the gates of hell will open upon the heads of Hamas’s murderers and rapists in Gaza—until they agree to Israel’s conditions for ending the war, primarily the release of all hostages and their disarmament,” Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz posted on social media platform X.

אישרנו אתמול את תוכניות צה"ל להכרעת החמאס בעזה – באש עצימה, בפינוי תושבים ובתמרון.
בקרוב ייפתחו שערי הגיהנום על ראשם של מרצחי ואנסי החמאס בעזה – עד שיסכימו לתנאי ישראל לסיום המלחמה ובראשם שחרור כל החטופים והתפרקות מנשקם.
אם לא יסכימו – עזה בירת החמאס תהפוך לרפיח ובית חאנון. בדיוק…

— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) August 22, 2025

The remarks of the defence minister came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would authorise the military to seize Gaza City. PM Netanyahu also ordered immediate negotiations aimed at freeing all the remaining hostages in Gaza.

The Israeli premier said that the push to release the hostages would go along with the operation to take control of Gaza City and destroy the Hamas stronghold.

Israel’s planned offensive for Gaza takeover

Israel’s planned offensive to expand the fighting and seize Gaza City has sparked an international outcry.

Hamas’s attack on Israel in October 2023 had resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians.

Israel’s Defence Ministry had this week given the nod to the call-up of roughly 60,000 reservists to help seize Gaza City.

“These two matters—defeating Hamas and releasing all our hostages—go hand in hand,” PM Netanyahu said in a video statement, without providing details about what the next stage of talks would entail.

The Israeli military has already warned medical officials and international organizations to prepare for the evacuation of Gaza City’s entire population of one million to shelters in the south before troops move in.

Limited operations by IDF already underway

Some limited operations have already started in the Zeitoun neighbourhood and the Jabaliya refugee camp, specifically targeting areas where Hamas is believed to still hold military and governing control.

However, unlike the earlier offensives, there are little sign of mass movement by Palestinians. Many residents say there is no safe place left in Gaza. Israel claims it now controls about 75% of the territory.

Israel has been demanding the release of all hostages and complete disarmament of Hamas before any ceasefire, but the Palestinian terrorist group says it is ready to release captives if the war ends but would not disarm until the creation of a Palestinian state.

Israel believes only 20 of the 50 hostages are alive

On Monday, Hamas sources said the group agreed to a proposal by Qatari and Egyptian mediators for a 60-day ceasefire, which, according to Qatar, would see the release of half of the remaining hostages in Gaza.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has apparently rejected this, saying he had instructed negotiations to begin for the release of all remaining hostages and an end to the war in Gaza on terms “acceptable to Israel”.

Israel believes that only 20 of the 50 hostages are still alive after 22 months of war.

The Israeli media cited an Israeli official as saying that the negotiators will be dispatched for renewed talks once a location has been determined.