Israel has delivered what it described as a “final warning” to Hamas, demanding the militant group release the remaining hostages taken in the October 2023 assault and surrender its weapons or face the “destruction and annihilation” of Gaza City.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz both raised the stakes this week, warning residents to evacuate immediately as Israeli forces prepare for a new ground operation.

“I say to the residents of Gaza: you have been warned – get out of there!” Netanyahu declared, adding that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had already destroyed 50 so-called “terror towers” as a prelude to the wider operation.

Katz reinforced the message, writing on X: “A mighty hurricane will hit the skies of Gaza City today, and the roofs of the terror towers will shake. Release the hostages and lay down your weapons – or Gaza will be destroyed, and you will be annihilated.”

The threats came as the IDF intensified aerial bombardments, striking residential high-rises, mosques, sports grounds, and even makeshift encampments of displaced families. Witnesses reported explosions tearing through Gaza City, where families already displaced by previous bombardments had sought temporary refuge.

Humanitarian Toll and International Condemnation

The warnings and bombardments drew swift international condemnation. Volker Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, accused Israel of committing “war crime upon war crime”, describing the devastation in Gaza as “shocking the conscience of the world.”

He pointed to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling in January obliging Israel to prevent acts of genocide, insisting Israel now had “a case to answer” before the court.

The Palestinian Civil Defence reported that more than 50 buildings were levelled and 200 tents destroyed in just 24 hours. Rescue teams continued to pull bodies from the rubble in Gaza City’s Tuffah neighbourhood after strikes flattened entire blocks.

Local hospitals confirmed at least 52 Palestinians killed on Monday alone, with 32 in Gaza City. Gaza’s Ministry of Health also reported six more deaths due to starvation and severe malnutrition, underscoring warnings from aid agencies that famine was tightening its grip on the enclave.

Among those killed was Osama Balousha, a Palestinian journalist. His death added to what media watchdogs have called the deadliest conflict for journalists in modern history, with nearly 250 Palestinian reporters killed since October 2023.

Meanwhile, Israel confirmed the deaths of four of its soldiers, killed when a roadside bomb detonated beneath a tank in northern Gaza.

The Hostage Stalemate and US Ceasefire Push

At the heart of the conflict remains the fate of 48 hostages still held by Hamas. Israel claims that only 20 are alive, while Hamas insists it will not release them without a “clear announcement of an end to the war” and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.

The United States has put forward a new ceasefire-hostage deal, described by President Donald Trump as Hamas’s “last chance.” According to the proposal, all hostages—living and dead—would be returned on the first day of a ceasefire, followed by negotiations toward ending the war.

While Israel has accepted the proposal, Hamas has expressed scepticism. Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim described the American plan as a set of “preliminary ideas,” warning that its conditions gave Israel de facto veto power over how and when troop withdrawals would occur.

Qatar, a key mediator, has urged Hamas leaders to “respond positively” to the US framework during talks in Doha.

Gaza’s Reality: Evacuation Orders and “Safe Zones” Under Fire

On Tuesday, the Israeli military ordered residents to evacuate Gaza City, home to nearly one million Palestinians. The directive caused panic, with many families torn between fleeing south to the already overcrowded and bombed “humanitarian area” of al-Mawasi, or staying in a city under siege.

Al-Mawasi, originally home to 115,000 people, now holds an estimated 800,000 displaced Palestinians, crammed into makeshift tents with little access to clean water, food, or medical aid. Despite Israel’s insistence that it is a safe zone, the area has been repeatedly bombed.

One resident told reporters:

“There is nowhere safe. If we leave, we die on the road. If we stay, we die under the rubble.”

Rising Global Backlash

Israel’s campaign has not only drawn criticism from the UN but also from European leaders. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced new punitive measures against Israel, including blocking arms shipments through Spanish ports and banning goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements. He also called the assault a “genocide” and said those responsible would be barred from entering Spain.

International critics argue that Israel’s plan to demilitarise Gaza and take permanent security control of the strip risks deepening the humanitarian catastrophe faced by its 2.2 million residents, almost all of whom have been displaced.

The West Bank Escalates

While Gaza burned, violence also flared in the occupied West Bank. Palestinian gunmen killed six people near an illegal settlement before being shot dead. In response, Israeli forces sealed off checkpoints and raided nearby villages, detaining residents and demolishing homes.

Two 14-year-old boys, Mohammad Sari Omar Masqala and Islam Abdel Aziz Noah Majarmah, were confirmed killed in Jenin during raids. Palestinian leaders accused Israel of exploiting such attacks as pretexts for broader crackdowns, warning that its “ultimate goal” remains the annexation of the West Bank and displacement of Palestinians.

War by the Numbers

• October 7, 2023: Hamas launched its surprise assault on Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.

• Since then: Israel has taken control of 75% of Gaza’s territory, according to its officials.

• Hostages: Of the 48 remaining, Israel says only 20 are alive.

• Palestinian casualties: Gaza’s health ministry reports more than 62,000 Palestinians killed.

• Displacement: Nearly the entire population of Gaza—2.2 million people—has been uprooted.

Outlook: War Without End?

As Israeli troops mass for a full-scale ground offensive into Gaza City and Hamas weighs the latest ceasefire proposal, the war shows no signs of ending. Netanyahu insists that Israel has “no choice” but to eliminate Hamas, while Hamas refuses to disarm without statehood.

For Gaza’s civilians, caught between evacuation orders, collapsing buildings, famine, and disease, the choices are few. As one Gaza resident put it:

“Everywhere is death. The only question is how it comes.”

With inputs from agencies

Image Source: Multiple agencies

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