Two rockets were fired from the central Gaza Strip at southern Israel on Wednesday, according to the military, as Hamas threatened Israel with a grim warning: if military operations continue, the hostages would return in coffins.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack. One rocket was intercepted by air defense systems, while the other struck outside Zimrat, causing no casualties.
In response, the IDF issued an evacuation notice for Palestinians near Gaza City, the area from which the rockets were launched, and proceeded to conduct airstrikes in the region.
The IDF later confirmed that it had targeted a terrorist operative linked to the rocket fire, who had been spotted at the launch site.
Additionally, the IDF reported hitting a building used to facilitate the rocket launches, along with two other nearby missile launch sites.
Meanwhile, Hamas issued a statement, escalating its threats by claiming that the hostages would be returned to Israel “in coffins” if Israel proceeded with its air and ground assaults in Gaza.
“Every time the occupation attempts to retrieve its captives by force, it ends up bringing them back in coffins,” Hamas declared in its statement.
The terror group also asserted that it was doing everything possible to ensure the hostages remained alive, but warned that Israel’s airstrikes were putting their lives at risk. “The random Zionist bombardment is endangering their lives,” they said.
In a response, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu addressed the Knesset, stating that Israel would take control of more territory in Gaza if Hamas continued to withhold the release of hostages.
“The more Hamas persists in its refusal to release our hostages, the stronger the pressure we will exert,” Netanyahu declared in the plenum. “This includes the seizure of territories, along with other measures I will not elaborate here.”
Wednesday also saw a rare protest by Gaza City residents in the Shejaiya neighborhood, where dozens rallied against Hamas rule in the Strip. They burned tires and chanted “Hamas out,” demanding an end to the ongoing conflict.
These protests, which have been uncommon due to Hamas’s harsh repression of dissent, marked the second consecutive day of anti-Hamas demonstrations.
On Tuesday, similar protests occurred in other parts of Gaza, including Beit Lahiya, the Jabalia refugee camp, and Khan Younis.
In Beit Lahiya, around 100 local residents gathered to demand an end to the war and the end of Hamas’s rule. Some demonstrators carried signs that read “Stop war” and “Children in Palestine want to live.”
Israel resumed heavy airstrikes on Gaza last week, followed by ground operations, effectively ending the relative calm brought by a January ceasefire with Hamas.
Hamas was responsible for the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the capture of 251 hostages during its brutal assault on October 7, 2023, which triggered the ongoing conflict. As of now, 59 hostages remain in Gaza, 34 of whom the IDF has confirmed are dead.
Netanyahu’s comments came shortly after Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened to annex parts of Gaza if Hamas refused to release the remaining hostages.
In a statement on Friday, Katz said: “I ordered [the army] to seize more territory in Gaza… The more Hamas refuses to free the hostages, the more territory it will lose, which will be annexed by Israel.”
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza reported on Wednesday that at least 830 people have died since Israel resumed its large-scale airstrikes on March 18. This number has not been independently verified and does not distinguish between civilians and fighters.
The ceasefire that began on January 19 had initially seen Hamas release 33 hostages, including eight bodies, and Israel freed around 1,800 Palestinian security prisoners.
A second phase of the ceasefire, which would have seen a permanent end to the conflict in exchange for the release of the remaining hostages and additional Palestinian security prisoners, faltered as negotiations stalled, with Israel pushing to extend the initial phase.
Netanyahu ordered the resumption of hostilities in Gaza last week, stating that future talks would be held “under fire.”
{Matzav.com Israel}The post Hamas Threatens Hostages Will Return ‘In Coffins;’ Islamic Jihad Fires Rockets At Israel first appeared on Matzav.com.