Israel’s Ultimatum to Hamas: Surrender or See Gaza City Destroyed

Israeli defense minister Israel Katz issued an ultimatum to Hamas: surrender, release all hostages, and disarm, or see Gaza City — the group’s last stronghold — destroyed.

Katz’s statement came in apparently response to a statement by Hamas that it would be willing to release all of the hostages in return for Israeli withdrawal from Gaza — which would leave the group armed and in charge, ready to prepare for war again.

The Times of Israel reported: “Defense Minister Israel Katz warns that Hamas will soon face a stark choice: either accept Israel’s conditions to end the war — including the release of all hostages and disarmament — or see Gaza City ;become like Rafah and Beit Hanoun,’ accusing the group of continuing to ‘deceive and utter empty words.’”

Separately, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement (translated from Hebrew by the Government Press Office) reiterating Israel’s objectives in a widely anticipated assault on Gaza City, as part of Operation Gideon’s Chariots II:

Unfortunately, this is more spin by Hamas that has nothing new.

The war could end immediately on the conditions set by the Security Cabinet:

1. All hostages are released.

2. Hamas is disarmed.

3. The Strip is demilitarized.

4. Israel has security control in the Strip.

5. An alternative civil administration is established that does not educate for terrorism, dispatch terrorists or threaten Israel.

Only these conditions will prevent Hamas from rearming and returning to the massacre of October 7 again and again as it has promised.

Meanwhile, Israel is considering annexing parts of the West Bank in response to attempts by France and other western countries to recognize a terrorist Palestinian State.

The United Arab Emirates warned that such annexation could jeopardize the Abraham Accords peace agreement.