Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Friday that the government has approved Israel Defense Forces plans for a new offensive aimed at defeating Hamas in Gaza City. The operation, he said, will employ "heavy fire," large-scale ground maneuvering and the evacuation of civilians. Katz warned that "the gates of hell" would open on the militant group unless it agrees to release all hostages and lay down its arms. Katz added that Gaza City would face the same destruction as Rafah and Beit Hanoun—urban areas largely flattened earlier in the war—if Hamas rejects Israel’s terms. He indicated the campaign could force the displacement of about one million residents from the territory’s principal urban center. The announcement comes amid continuing Israeli air and artillery strikes that local health officials said killed at least 17 Palestinians on Friday. Aid agencies warn that any intensified assault risks deepening Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, which UN-backed monitors already say has reached famine levels in some districts—a characterization Israel disputes. Hamas condemned Katz’s remarks, saying the stated intent to remove the population amounts to ethnic cleansing. Diplomatic efforts to secure a cease-fire and a prisoner exchange remain stalled.