Israel To Intensify Gaza Fight If Hamas Doesn't Release Hostages

Amid reports of over 45,000 Palestinians dead following well over a year of fighting in the Gaza Strip, Israel is warning that it is preparing to escalate its offensive against Hamas even more.

Defense Minister Israel Katz issued an ultimatum Wednesday, telling Hamas to immediately release the some 100 hostages that remain or else Israel deal it "blows with a force not seen in Gaza for a long time."

At this point the hostages have been held for more than 450 days, and many of the remaining one hundred are feared dead.

"The IDF will intensify its activities against the terrorist nests in Gaza until the release of the hostages and the elimination of Hamas," Katz warned while touring the southern Israeli city of Netivot.

"I call on Gaza's residents to rise up against the murderous Hamas group, which also uses you as human shields, and to bring about the release of the hostages, to prevent suffering and end the war," Katz said.

Netivot had witnessed a New Year's Day salvo of Hamas rockets fired on it. The defense minister touted Israel's "willingness to make far-reaching compromises in accordance with the principles outlined by the U.S. president."

On Thursday Reuters cited PM Netanyahu's office as saying he has authorized the resumption of negotiations by an Israeli delegation in Doha. "Hostage negotiations are reportedly not stuck and there has been progress," The Jerusalem Post additionally said.

A new Israeli military statement has said that warplanes continue to be engaged in heavy operations over the Gaza Strip. "Air Force aircraft and control rooms are in direct contact with the fighting [ground] forces and support the fighting in the various sectors," a statement said.

The IDF added, "This is an early warning. Terror groups are again firing rockets from this area, which has been warned several times in the past."

But with much of the Strip already completely leveled and devastated, it's hard to know how or in what ways Israel can still escalate. Hamas leadership has been degraded, but likely there are still many thousands more Hamas militants operating from the vast tunnel system, waging guerilla war.