‘If Hamas won’t release our hostages, blows will intensify,’ warns DM Katz amid int’l outcry over Israel’s Gaza strikes

The new Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip, dubbed ‘Strength and Sword,” is meant to force Hamas to the negotiating table and free more Israeli hostages, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Defense Minister Israel Katz explained on Tuesday amid a growing wave of international criticism.

Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released an update about the operation, announcing that strikes against “terror targets belonging to the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad” continued.

תיעוד מהמראת מטוסי ומסוקי הקרב:
רגעי התקיפות האוויריות ברצועת עזה נחשפים

לכל הפרטים👇https://t.co/DkIqaTvaK1 pic.twitter.com/blhC9KnknU

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) March 18, 2025

“The targets struck over the past few hours include terrorist cells, launch posts, weapons stockpiles, and additional military infrastructure used by these terror organizations to plan and execute attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers. At this time, the IDF and Shin Bet are striking terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip,” the military stated.

Following a situation assessment with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, and the heads of the security branches, Katz declared, “The Hamas murderers need to understand: If they do not release all our hostages - our blows will only increase and intensify.”

ראש המטה הכללי, רב-אלוף אייל זמיר, ראש שירות הביטחון הכללי, רונן בר ומפקד חיל האוויר, אלוף תומר בר, בבור חיל האוויר, מפקדים על התקיפות הלילה בעזה pic.twitter.com/HSnSl9zgDx

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) March 18, 2025

Sa’ar meanwhile said he had talked to Kaja Kallas, the European Union's Foreign Minister, after several European countries and EU representatives criticized the Israeli offensive.

“Minister Sa’ar emphasized that Israel has accepted the proposals of U.S. President's special envoy Steve Witkoff to extend the ceasefire, but Hamas has rejected them twice. Without the release of hostages - Israel has no choice but to resume military activity,” Sa’ar’s office stated.

Updated E.U. High Rep. for Foreign Affairs @kajakallas on Israel's operation against Hamas in Gaza. Israel agreed to U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff's proposals to extend the temporary ceasefire, which Hamas twice rejected. Without the release of our hostages, Israel has no… pic.twitter.com/GBLesjYpGn

— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) March 18, 2025

At a conference in southern Israel on Tuesday, Sa’ar added that Israel “reached a dead end where there is no fire and no return of the hostages, and Israel cannot accept this.”

“If we had continued to wait, the situation would have continued to not move. And this was very reminiscent of the first 20 days after October 7, until the ground entry into the Strip, when there was hope that Hamas might reach a deal.”

“The return to fire is a continuation of our commitment to achieving the goals of the war. The goals of the war remain the same goals,” Sa’ar emphasized.

Sa’ar’s comments were confirmed by an Israeli official talking to Israel Hayom, who explained that “Israel waited three weeks for Hamas to begin serious talks on the Witkoff outline. That didn’t happen.”

Another official told the Times of Israel, “If at any point the other side decides to go back to genuinely negotiating, and we go back to genuine talks, then we’ll stop [the offensive]. At the moment, we’re left without any choice.”

Israel’s resumption of fighting after some two months of ceasefire drew heavy criticism from regional and Western countries, as well as from international organizations.

The mediating countries, Qatar and Egypt, also slammed Israel. Qatar strongly condemned the “renewal of Israeli aggression” and warned that Israel's policy of escalation would lead to a regional conflagration.

Egypt’s foreign ministry called Israel’s action a “flagrant violation” of the ceasefire.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said he was “shocked” by the Israeli airstrikes, while demanding humanitarian aid to resume and for the hostages held by Hamas to be released unconditionally.

UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the West Bank and Gaza, Muhannad Hadi, called the Israeli strikes “unconscionable.”

EU aid commissioner Hadja Lahbib said the escalation was “devastating. Civilians have endured unimaginable suffering. This must stop.”

Several other Western nations, including the UK, France, Italy, Belgium, Ireland, and Australia, also criticized Israel’s actions and called for a return to the ceasefire.

Ireland’s Prime Minister Micheál Martin said he would bring up the situation in Gaza at a European Council meeting later this week.

China and Russia also joined the condemnations, in addition to several regional countries like Iran, Turkey and Jordan.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said China “is highly concerned about the current situation between Israel and Palestine,” and called on the parties to “avoid any actions that could lead to an escalation of the situation, and prevent a larger-scale humanitarian disaster.”

Russia’s Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov cautioned against a “spiral of escalation” in Gaza.