Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a stark warning on Sunday, vowing to "open the gates of hell" if Hamas does not release all hostages still held in Gaza. Speaking alongside U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said Israel and the United States have a "common strategy" to dismantle Hamas' military and political presence in the enclave.
"We can't always share the details of this strategy with the public, including when the gates of hell will be opened, as they surely will if all our hostages are not released until the last one," Netanyahu stated. He reiterated Israel's goals of eliminating Hamas, securing the release of all captives, and ensuring Gaza "never again poses a threat to Israel."
Rubio's visit to Israel is part of a broader regional tour, where he is expected to encounter resistance from Arab leaders over President Donald Trump's proposal to depopulate Gaza and redevelop it under U.S. administration. Speaking to reporters, Rubio defended the plan, calling it a "bold vision" and stating that it is "not the same tired ideas of the past, but something that, frankly, took courage."
Trump has proposed relocating Gaza's Palestinian population to other countries, namely Egypt and Jordan, while transforming the coastal strip into what he has described as the "Riviera of the Middle East." The plan has drawn criticism from Arab states, international organizations, and Palestinian leaders, who have rejected the displacement of Gaza's two million residents.
Netanyahu praised the Trump administration's unequivocal support for Israel's objectives in Gaza, saying it would help expedite Israel's military and strategic goals. "The unequivocal support of the United States will help us achieve these objectives faster and set us on a path for a different future," he said.
Rubio emphasized that the first priority remains the safe return of hostages still held by Hamas. "Obviously, there are details of how we're pursuing that and coordinating that we're not going to share publicly because we don't want to endanger the hostages," he said in an interview with CBS's Face the Nation. "But suffice it to say that if it was up to us, every one of these hostages would be home right now, and we want it to happen as soon as possible."
Rubio also reinforced Trump's stance that Hamas "cannot continue as a military or government force." He added, "As long as it stands as a force that can govern or as a force that can administer or as a force that can threaten by use of violence, peace becomes impossible. It must be eradicated."
The remarks come just weeks before the first phase of a tenuous ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas is set to expire. Under the terms of the deal, Hamas is expected to release dozens of remaining hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a lasting truce, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces. The details of the second phase of the truce, including whether Israel will agree to Hamas' demands, remain unresolved.
On Sunday, the Israeli military reported conducting an airstrike near the southern Gaza border with Egypt. Hamas' Interior Ministry said the strike killed three policemen securing the entry of aid trucks near Rafah. The militant group denounced the attack as a "serious violation" of the ceasefire and accused Netanyahu of attempting to derail the fragile agreement.
Israel's ongoing military campaign in Gaza follows Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, in which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. Since then, Israeli strikes have killed over 48,000 people in Gaza, according to the territory's Hamas-run Health Ministry. The death toll includes civilians, militants, and members of Hamas' leadership, whom Israel has targeted in a series of precision airstrikes.
The conflict has also widened to other fronts, with Israel engaging in clashes with Hezbollah along the Lebanese border and targeting Iranian-backed militias in Syria and Iraq. Netanyahu stated on Sunday that Israel has "dealt a mighty blow" to Iran since the start of the war and vowed to continue countering Tehran's regional influence. "We agreed that the ayatollahs must not have nuclear weapons and also agreed that Iran's aggression in the region must be rolled back," Netanyahu said.
Rubio echoed this sentiment, stating that Iran remains the central destabilizing force in the Middle East. "Behind every terrorist group, behind every act of violence, behind every destabilizing activity, behind everything that threatens peace and stability for the millions of people that call this region home is Iran," he said.
Meanwhile, Trump lifted restrictions on a shipment of MK-84 heavy bombs to Israel over the weekend, reversing a block placed on the weapons by the Biden administration. The 2,000-pound unguided bombs are capable of penetrating concrete structures and causing large-scale devastation. Asked about the decision, Trump defended the move, saying, "Peace through strength. You understand that, right? It's called peace through strength."
