Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has threatened to escalate airstrikes on Gaza City, warning that “a powerful hurricane will strike the skies of Gaza City, and the roofs of the terror towers will tremble.”
The statement, posted Monday on X, comes as Israel has intensified attacks on high-rise buildings in northern Gaza, many of which are sheltering displaced civilians. The Israeli army claims the strikes are aimed at Hamas infrastructure, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Katz said the military campaign will continue and may expand unless all hostages are released. Around 50 hostages remain in Gaza, with as many as 20 believed to be alive.
Israel’s offensive, launched after the October 2023 Hamas attacks that killed about 1,200 people and led to over 200 kidnappings, has since killed more than 64,000 Palestinians, according to local authorities. Human Rights Watch reports that 90% of Gaza’s infrastructure has been destroyed, leaving nearly 1 million people seeking shelter in schools and universities.
Israel faces international legal scrutiny: the ICC has issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, while the ICJ is hearing a genocide case against Israel over its war on Gaza.
