Katz: IDF sent evacuation notice in Gaza City, ‘bolt is now removed from the gates of Hell’

Stav Levaton is a military reporter for The Times of Israel

Defense Minister Israel Katz speaks to press at the site of a missile impact in Holon on June 19, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/FLASH90)
Defense Minister Israel Katz speaks to press at the site of a missile impact in Holon on June 19, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/FLASH90)

Defense Minister Israel Katz says Israel has issued its first formal evacuation notice to residents of a multi-story building in Gaza City ahead of an impending strike, warning that IDF operations there will only intensify until Hamas agrees to Israel’s terms to a ceasefire deal.

“The bolt is now being removed from the gates of Hell in Gaza,” he posts on X. “Once the door is opened, it will not be closed, and IDF operations will intensify — until Hamas’s murderers and rapists accept Israel’s conditions for ending the war, first and foremost the release of all hostages and disarmament — or be destroyed.”

The statement comes as the IDF prepares to expand its ground offensive into Gaza City, with senior commanders framing the campaign as a decisive maneuver aimed at breaking Hamas’s remaining strongholds.

Yesterday, IDF spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said Israeli forces now control roughly 40 percent of the city and intend to push further in the coming days as part of the broader plan to seize full control.

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