Israel’s defence minister has threatened to resume the genocide if Hamas fails to respect the Gaza ceasefire agreement, saying he has instructed the military to prepare a "plan to crush" the Palestinian resistance group.
"If Hamas refuses to comply with the agreement, Israel, in coordination with the United States, will resume fighting and act to achieve a total defeat of Hamas, to change the reality in Gaza and achieve all the objectives of the war," a statement from Israel Katz’s office said on Wednesday.
Katz also said Israel would work alongside a US-led international force to destroy tunnels in Gaza, describing their elimination as a key military goal.
The statement came after Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said it had handed over the remains of two more Israeli captives who were killed in Israeli air strikes during the carnage.
The group said the remaining bodies would require "major efforts and specialised equipment" to recover, adding that its members were working "to close this file completely."
‘At a moment’s notice’
The exchange of statements came as both sides sought to maintain the fragile ceasefire that took effect under a deal brokered by the United States, Qatar, Türkiye and Egypt.
In Washington, US President Donald Trump also warned that Israel could resume the carnage in Gaza "at a moment’s notice" if Hamas failed to meet the terms of the agreement.
"Israel could have crushed Hamas during the two-year war if it wanted to," Trump said, adding that his administration was closely monitoring the ceasefire’s implementation.
The ceasefire agreement, reached last week, includes the phased release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
However, Israel continued to kill Palestinians after the ceasefire.
Tensions remain high as mediators continue efforts to secure the next phase of the agreement and prevent a return to the Israeli genocidal war on the enclave.
