Katz: “We will resume fighting, and they will face the IDF with force and methods they have never encountered before—until we achieve complete victory.”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a stark warning to Hamas, stating that they would face “the gates of hell” if they refuse to release the remaining hostages.
At an event commemorating the 33rd anniversary of prime minister Menachem Begin’s passing, Katz said, “In recent days, with a heavy heart, we have recovered the remains of eight additional captives who were murdered by Hamas in Gaza.”
Katz reaffirmed the government’s commitment to bringing home all remaining hostages, both living and deceased.
“The ceasefire agreement with Hamas and the heavy toll Israel has endured — and is willing to continue paying — was aimed at securing the swift release of all living Israeli hostages and returning the remains of those who have passed. This is our moral obligation and ultimate objective. In these critical days, we are working tirelessly to achieve this goal.”
However, by rejecting the hostage release proposal put forward by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Hamas has created an impasse in negotiations. Nevertheless, Katz indicated there would be a few more days of negotiations in an attempt to revive the deal, but he emphasized that Israel would send no humanitarian aid into Gaza, fearing it would be stolen by Hamas.
“Despite ongoing violations by Hamas and its rejection of the proposal from President Trump’s Special Envoy for the Middle East, Steven Witkoff, we have agreed to the mediators’ request for additional negotiation time. In the meantime, we have halted all humanitarian aid to Gaza,” he stated.
Katz warned, “Make no mistake, Hamas — this is just the beginning. If Hamas does not release the hostages soon, the gates of Gaza will close, and the gates of hell will open.”
“We will resume fighting, and they will face the IDF with force and tactics unlike anything they have encountered before — until we achieve complete victory. We will never allow Hamas to rule Gaza. This conflict will end with two clear outcomes: the release of all our hostages and the total defeat of Hamas’s rule in Gaza,” he declared.
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