Israeli officials have issued warnings that if there is no progress in ceasefire negotiations and a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas, military operations in Gaza will escalate. A senior Israeli official told Axios that without movement toward a deal, "everything in Gaza will turn to ashes," referencing a potential intensification similar to the destruction seen in Rafah. Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz emphasized that senior Hamas leaders abroad are refusing to release hostages and warned that if hostages are not freed soon, "the gates of hell will open" on Hamas. However, there have been recent developments indicating an improvement in Hamas's response to ceasefire proposals. Israeli sources, including Channel 12 and Axios, reported that Hamas's latest reply to the ceasefire agreement is better than previous responses and is currently under study, with officials stating there is now "something to work with" in the Gaza deal.