Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened Friday to unleash the "gates of hell" on Gaza City if Hamas refuses Israel's conditions for ending the war, as an international body declared famine in the northern part of the enclave for the first time since the conflict began.
The Israel Defense Forces are preparing for a large-scale operation to seize Gaza City, a move approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday. "We are at the stage of decision...Today I came to the Gaza Division to approve the plans that the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] presented to me and to the minister of defense for taking control of Gaza City and defeating Hamas," Netanyahu said in a video address.
Katz, in a statement on X, warned that unless Hamas agrees to release hostages and disarm, "soon the gates of hell will open upon the heads of Hamas murderers and rapists in Gaza." He added: "If they do not agree-Gaza, Hamas's capital, will turn into Rafah and Beit Hanoun. Exactly as I promised-so it shall be." Both Rafah and Beit Hanoun have been devastated during Israel's 22-month campaign.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, declared famine in Gaza City and neighboring areas Friday, reporting that nearly 514,000 people are now experiencing famine conditions. The figure is projected to climb to 641,000 by the end of September if conditions do not change. "Famine is a race against time," the IPC said. "An immediate ceasefire and end to the conflict is critical to enabling an unimpeded, large-scale humanitarian response to save lives."
Israel's foreign ministry rejected the declaration, calling it a "fabricated report to fit Hamas's fake campaign," while accusing the IPC of "twisted" methodology. The IPC responded that it had applied "established IPC standards" and had not altered its famine threshold.
The declaration came as aid groups warned of worsening conditions across the enclave. Cindy McCain, executive director of the World Food Programme, said, "Famine warnings have been clear for months." World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus added, "A ceasefire is an absolute and moral imperative now. The world has waited too long, watching tragic and unnecessary deaths mount from this man-made famine."
Palestinian health officials said famine-related deaths in Gaza had reached at least 266, including 112 children. The ministry reported three additional deaths from starvation in a single day earlier this week.
Israel has allowed limited aid into Gaza since May, after a two-month blockade cut off nearly all food supplies. From May 19 through Aug. 17, Israeli data show that 9,165 trucks entered the enclave, averaging around 100 trucks per day. Before the war, approximately 500 aid trucks entered daily.
The offensive follows the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 attack that killed about 1,200 people in Israel and saw around 250 taken hostage. Since then, more than 62,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory's health ministry. Israel's government says its campaign seeks to dismantle Hamas and ensure no future threat emerges from the coastal enclave.
