Israel-Gaza latest: Israel warns it will ‘open gates of hell’ on Hamas and help create Trump’s vision of Gaza
Israel’s defence minister has warned that if Hamas does not release his country’s hostages by Saturday “the gates of hell will open on them”.
Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel would resume “intense” fighting in Gaza if more hostages were not released by Saturday noon, as he ordered the army to send more troops to gather in and around the region.
Defence minister Israel Katz said: “If Hamas does not release the Israeli hostages by Shabbat – the gates of hell will open on them, just as the US president promised.
“The new Gaza war will be different in intensity from the one before the ceasefire – and will not end without Hamas’s defeat and the release of all the hostages, and will also enable the realisation of US president Trump’s vision regarding Gaza.”
Mr Trump has threatened to let “hell break out” if all the hostages are not freed by Saturday. So far, 21 have been released under last month’s truce. It’s understood 76 remain.
Hamas suspended the release of hostages after accusing Israel of breaching ceasefire obligations, including the delaying the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza, carrying out strikes across the enclave and hindering the entry of humanitarian aid.
