Defense Minister Israel Katz posts on X: “Today, a powerful hurricane will strike in the skies of Gaza City, and the roofs of the towers of terror will shake.”
“This is the last warning to the murderers and rapists of Hamas in Gaza, and in luxury hotels abroad: Release the hostages, and put down your weapons — or Gaza will be destroyed and you will be obliterated,” he writes.
“The IDF is continuing with its plans — and we are preparing to expand the maneuver to defeat Gaza.”
The message comes as Israel sets the stage for a major offensive to take over Gaza City in the northern Strip, a city where some million residents were sheltering prior to the latest evacuations; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that over 100,000 people have left so far.
In recent days, the Israel Defense Forces have been striking one Gaza high-rise each day after evacuation warnings, asserting that the buildings were used by the Hamas terror group. The strikes have also been interpreted as part of an effort to motivate civilians to leave the city in advance of the takeover operation.
