A stark message echoed over the region this Monday as Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz issued a chilling ultimatum to Hamas. In a forthright post on X, Katz warned that unless the militant group releases hostages and lays down arms, Gaza would face total destruction and Hamas itself would be “annihilated.” He framed this as a final warning, declaring: “a powerful hurricane will strike the skies of Gaza City and the roofs of terror towers.”

This declaration sharpens the already fraught environment in the Middle East. Western media, including the Times of India, summarized the stance: release the hostages, surrender your weapons or Gaza faces obliteration. Katz emphasized the readiness of the Israel Defense Forces to intensify their military offensive, aiming for a decisive collapse of Hamas’s grip.

This comes hot on the heels of U.S. President Donald Trump’s own “last warning,” delivered from the U.S. Open tennis final. Trump also repeated similar words, claiming that Israel accepted his ceasefire proposal and urged Hamas to comply with Hamas.

These ultimatums highlight a serious condition: the conversation is hanging in the balance and a lot is at stake. Internationally, the ceasefire appeals are getting faster every day, while the suffering of common citizens in Gaza is continuously increasing. The confrontation of political, military and human powers has taken a terrible picture: will diplomacy stop the path of destruction, or is there a time left to stop destruction?