Israel on Monday delivered an ultimatum to Hamas, warning the terrorist group to free hostages and disarm or face total destruction of Gaza City.

�A mighty hurricane will hit the skies of Gaza City today, and the roofs of the terror towers will shake,� Defense Minister Yisrael Katz declared in a post on X. �This is a final warning to the murderers and rapists of Hamas in Gaza and in the luxury hotels abroad: Release the hostages and lay down your weapons � or Gaza will be destroyed, and you will be annihilated.�

Katz said the IDF is preparing to �expand the maneuver to defeat Gaza,� signaling an escalation of operations ordered by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month to capture the city and wipe out Hamas�s remaining strongholds.

The threats came just one day after President Donald Trump, who has been mediating cease-fire talks, issued his own ultimatum to Hamas. �The Israelis have accepted my Terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well,� Trump wrote on Truth Social. �I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning, there will not be another one!� He did not clarify what the terms entailed.

Hamas, under mounting pressure, has said it may release some hostages in exchange for a temporary truce. Netanyahu, however, has rejected partial deals, insisting the group must free all captives and surrender.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)