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US President Donald Trump has also warned Hamas to accept his terms to end war in Gaza
The minister’s remark came hours before Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a bus stop in east Jerusalem, killing five people and wounding several others. (AFP photo file)
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz on Monday warned Hamas of “annihilation” if the terror group does not release hostages it captured during the October 2023 attack.
In a post on X, Katz said a powerful hurricane will strike the skies of Gaza City, and the roofs of the terror towers will.
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“Today, a powerful hurricane will strike the skies of Gaza City, and the roofs of the terror towers will. This is a final warning to the murderers and rapists of Hamas in Gaza and in luxury hotels abroad: Release the hostages and lay down your weapons—or Gaza will be destroyed, and you will be annihilated. The IDF continues as planned—and is preparing to expand the maneuver to decisively defeat Gaza,” Katz wrote.
היום תכה סופת הוריקן אדירה בשמי העיר עזה וגגות מגדלי הטרור ירעדו.זאת אזהרה אחרונה למרצחי ואנסי החמאס בעזה ובמלונות הפאר בחו”ל: שחררו את החטופים והניחו את הנשק – או שעזה תיהרס ואתם תושמדו.
צה”ל ממשיך כמתוכנן – ונערך להרחבת התמרון להכרעת עזה.
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) September 8, 2025
The minister’s remark came hours before Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a bus stop in east Jerusalem, killing five people and wounding several others.
Palestinian militant group Hamas, which has been at war with Israel in the Gaza Strip for nearly two years, praised the attack, saying it was carried out by two Palestinian militants.
“We affirm that this operation is a natural response to the crimes of the occupation and the genocide it is waging against our people,” Hamas said in a statement.
The shooting was one of the deadliest incidents of its kind since the war in Gaza began after Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel. The Hamas attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed at least 64,368 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza that the United Nations considers reliable.
Hamas Ready To Negotiate After Trump’s ‘Last Warning’
Earlier on Sunday, US President Donald Trump said Israelis have accepted his terms and said it is time for Hamas to accept as well.
“The Israelis have accepted my terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well. I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
After Trump’s “last” warning, Hamas has said it was ready to “immediately sit at the negotiating table”.
“The Hamas Movement welcomes any initiative that supports efforts to end the aggression against our people, and affirms its readiness to immediately sit at the negotiating table to discuss the release of all prisoners,” the Palestinian militant group said.
In exchange, the terror group said it wanted “a clear declaration of the end of the war, a full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and the formation of a committee of independent Palestinians to manage the Gaza Strip, which would begin its duties immediately”.
(with inputs from AFP)
About the Author
Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter –twitter.com/saurabhkverma19
Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter –twitter.com/saurabhkverma19
Jerusalem, Israel
September 08, 2025, 16:19 IST
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