Hamas warns 'Israel' against escalation in Gaza amid ground invasion
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Hamas holds the Israeli occupation responsible for the aggression on Gaza as it warns against further escalation.
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An Israeli tank takes position on the Gaza Strip border in southern occupied Palestine, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP)
Hamas on Wednesday held the Israeli occupation and its leadership fully responsible for the consequences of the ongoing ground invasion of central Gaza.
In a statement, the movement said that the Israeli regime's repeated threats to forcibly displace Palestinians reflect the deep crisis facing the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"The Palestinian people will thwart all attempts at forced or voluntary displacement," Hamas asserted, adding: "There is no migration except to al-Quds."
The statement also reaffirmed Hamas' commitment to the ceasefire agreement, calling on mediators to hold "Israel" accountable for its violations and pressure Netanyahu to halt his actions.
Netanyahu: 'Negotiations will be under fire'
The statement follows remarks by Netanyahu on Tuesday, in which he vowed to continue negotiations with Hamas "under fire" and claimed that the renewed offensive was due to Hamas rejecting Israeli proposals for the release of Israeli captives.
However, Hamas has repeatedly accused the Israeli regime of reneging on the ceasefire agreement and evading its commitments under the second phase of the deal.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday threatened the Palestinians in Gaza with the complete destruction of the besieged enclave and signaled the imminent resumption of the forced displacement of its people.
'Israel to act with a force never seen before'
“For Gazans, this is the latest warning ... The air force attacks on Hamas were only the first step. What comes next will be much harder, and you will have to pay the price in full. The evacuation of the population from the war zones will soon begin again. If all kidnapped Israelis are not released and Hamas is not forced out of the Gaza Strip, Israel will act with a force you have never seen before,” Katz said in a direct address to the people of Gaza.
The statement signals a further escalation in the Israeli occupation’s brutal onslaught in the Gaza Strip, which has already killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and displaced the overwhelming majority of the enclave’s residents.
Katz also urged Gazans to follow the advice of former US President Donald Trump, claiming that compliance with Israeli demands could lead to alternative “options” for them, including the forced displacement from Gaza permanently.
“Return the kidnapped and get rid of Hamas, then other options will open up for you, including passage to other parts of the world. The alternative is total destruction and devastation,” he added.
His remarks reinforce growing concerns over "Israel’s" plans to depopulate Gaza through systematic forced displacement, a policy widely condemned as a violation of international law.
