Israeli Defense Minister Warns Hamas: Surrender or Face Annihilation
GAZA CITY – Israel‘s Defense Minister yoav Gallant issued a stark warning to Hamas on Sunday, stating the group faces complete destruction if it does not release hostages, disarm, adn surrender.The ultimatum comes amid intensified Israeli military preparations for an expanded ground operation in Gaza and escalating calls for a hostage release deal.
The escalating rhetoric underscores the deepening crisis following Hamas’s October 7th attack on Israel and the subsequent taking of over 200 hostages. The conflict has already claimed thousands of lives on both sides and threatens wider regional instability.A successful resolution hinges on Hamas’s response to ongoing negotiations, with the fate of the hostages and the future of Gaza hanging in the balance.
According to a statement released by Gallant, “Powerful Storms will hit the Gaza City sky and the roofs of the terror tower” if Hamas fails to meet Israel’s demands. He affirmed that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are continuing operations according to plan and preparing to expand maneuvers to defeat Hamas in Gaza.
Together, former U.S.President Donald Trump issued a “last warning” to Hamas, urging the group to accept a hostage release agreement, stating Israel has already met the requirements outlined in the deal. “Israel has received my requirements. It is time for Hamas to also accept it,” Trump wrote in a statement via his social media platform, Truth Social. “I have warned Hamas about the consequences if they do not accept it. This is my last warning.”
In response to Trump’s call, Hamas released a statement indicating a willingness to “immediatly sit at the negotiating table” following “some ideas from the American side aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement.” The group stated it welcomes any initiative to end the aggression against Palestinians and emphasized its readiness to discuss the release of all hostages.
However, Hamas stipulated conditions for a deal, including “a clear declaration of the end of the war, withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and the formation of an independent Palestinian Committee to manage the Gaza Strip, which will soon start its duties.”