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)