Gaza — Israel on Monday told residents of Gaza City to evacuate immediately, pairing an ultimatum to Hamas with an explicit threat of a “mighty hurricane” of airstrikes and renewed ground operations if the group does not free remaining hostages and surrender.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that those who remain would be in the path of intensified bombardment, boasting that Israeli forces have already leveled dozens of high-rises that authorities label “terror towers.” Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, amplified the message online, promising that rooftops would “shake” under a new aerial barrage and declaring this a final chance for Hamas to disarm and give up the hostages.
The evacuate-or-suffer order has become a familiar tactic in this long Gaza war, but the scale and speed of new strikes around Gaza City on Monday deepened a man-made catastrophe for a population already living in ruins. Residents described explosions ripping through dense neighborhoods within hours of receiving evacuation leaflets and text alerts. A 12-story residential block that had sheltered dozens of displaced families was reduced to rubble after mere minutes of warning. Medics across the enclave reported dozens of fatalities amid simultaneous air and ground fire.
Israel Katz’s threat followed a deadly attack at a Jerusalem bus stop that killed six people, including a Spanish citizen. Hamas praised the shooters, even as its leaders signaled they were still “studying” a ceasefire-hostage proposal conveyed by Washington and regional actors. Israel insists Hamas must hand over all remaining hostages—alive or dead—on the first day of any ceasefire, then surrender. Hamas counters that any full release must coincide with a verified end to the war and an Israeli troop withdrawal.
This ultimatum arrives amid renewed diplomacy led by the United States, where US President Donald Trump branded it a “last chance.” Qatar’s prime minister, meanwhile, urged Hamas in Doha to accept the American framework. Israeli leaders say the plan is under serious consideration—but they’ve offered no concessions on disarmament or a pathway to sustained truce.
On the ground, Israel’s military confirmed new troop fatalities in northern Gaza as it advanced into districts devastated nearly two years ago. The army says militants embedded surveillance systems and explosives in urban buildings, deploying them as launch points. That justification has become routine, even as families shelter inside or camp in makeshift tents in rubble-strewn streets.
According to Gaza’s health authorities, at least forty Palestinians were killed in Monday’s bombardment, including journalist Osama Balousha. Human rights and media groups warn of Gaza becoming the deadliest war zone for journalists, with nearly 250 reporters—almost all Palestinians—killed since the early in the Gaza conflict. The threat of impartial reporting is growing in the shadow of rising civilian death and blocked access.
The hunger crisis, which Israeli officials often dismiss as overblown, deepened. Gaza’s health ministry reported six additional deaths from malnutrition and starvation in a single day—including two children—bringing the total to nearly 400, the majority occurring in the past two months. Aid organizations argue that Israel’s food, fuel, and supply restrictions effectively dismantle Palestinian society. This echoes mounting international condemnation, including growing pressure from the International Association of Genocide Scholars.
Israel’s messaging has hardened with its military escalation. The offensive is being billed as a final warning and prelude to a sweeping “ground operation” to eliminate Hamas from Gaza City. Yet after nearly two years, Israel’s core demands—Hamas surrender, a hostage handover on its timetable, and a postwar order that excludes Palestinian sovereignty—remain steadfast. Hamas, by contrast, demands a synchronized halt to fighting and full withdrawal before releasing hostages—a position in part echoed by Iran’s diplomatic stance.
In Washington, the contradictions in policy remain glaring. While advocating for de-escalation, the US continues to provide Israel with military capabilities. This duplicity—calling for peace while enabling war—is emblematic of broader themes tracked across the US foreign policy hub.
Regional mediators such as Qatar and Egypt continue shuttle diplomacy, which has yielded intermittent pauses and hostage exchanges. But mutual maximalist positions and public posturing constantly erode trust. In this void, Moscow has increasingly asserted itself as a regional spoiler or mediator—its narratives gaining visibility in the Russia coverage hub.
Inside Israel, pressures mount from a public desperate to recover hostages and dismantle Hamas. Yet these goals are mutually exclusive without a political settlement. The “mighty hurricane” threat serves as both reassurance to Israeli constituencies and a warning to Palestinians that nowhere is safe.
For Gaza’s civilians, evacuations have become a ritual: gather what little you have, move on cue, face destruction in supposedly safe zones, and repeat. Hospitals, barely functioning on dwindling fuel, wrestle with mass casualties. The confluence of violence, hunger, water contamination, and disease is now exponentially worsening while aid adaptation struggles to keep pace—mirroring broader strategic shifts toward a BRICS model of multipolar resistance.
The war’s origin remains rooted in Hamas’ October 2023 campaign, which resulted in over 1,200 Israeli deaths and more than 250 abducted hostages. Since then, Gaza has undergone near-total devastation. Palestinian fatalities now number in the tens of thousands, infrastructure is in ruins, and famine claims lives daily. Israel disputes these figures, but satellite imagery, mass displacement, and famine deaths leave little room for denial.
As Israeli forces prepare for renewed incursions into Gaza City, critical questions remain unanswered: What comes after destruction? What replaces Hamas—especially if Palestinian national aspirations remain unaddressed? Without diplomacy that recognizes rights, Gaza will pay the price again and again. And the siege will solidify into an endless cycle.
In line with The Eastern Herald’s sourcing standards, the details cited here, including evacuation orders, threats of a “mighty hurricane,” ceasefire-hostage talks, and the reported casualty figures, are drawn from on-the-record reporting by Reuters.
