Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Hamas on Tuesday that "the rules of the game have changed" and said the attacks on Gaza will not cease until the 59 hostages are released.
"Hamas must understand that the rules of the game have changed. We will not stop fighting until all hostages return home and all threats to the residents of southern Israel are eliminated," Katz said in a statement after visiting the Tel Nof airbase in southern Israel.
"If (Hamas) does not immediately release all the kidnapped men and women, The gates of hell will open and it will encounter the full power of the armed forces in the air, sea and land, until its complete annihilation“Katz continued, evoking similar threats made by US President Donald Trump.
The attacks, which ended a nearly two-month ceasefire, targeted terrorist targets within the Strip, both Hamas and Islamic Jihad.