Israel orders military to strike with force if Hamas attacks before Gaza ceasefire

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has ordered the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to "respond with great force" to any attempt by Hamas to attack Israeli soldiers in Gaza, hours before the government is expected to approve a US-brokered ceasefire deal with the Palestinian group.

Posting on X, Katz wrote: "I have instructed the IDF to respond with great force to any threat and to any attack by the Hamas terror organization in Gaza against our forces during the interim stage before the government's decision and until the implementation of the agreement."

He added that ensuring the protection of Israeli troops remains the army’s primary obligation.

Katz held a security assessment earlier in the day with IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General, Eyal Zamir and other senior officials ahead of back-to-back meetings of the security cabinet.

According to The Times of Israel, his office later issued a statement reiterating his directive, "The defence minister instructed the IDF to respond with great force to any threat and any attack by the Hamas terror organisation against our forces."

ISRAELI CABINET TO APPROVE CEASEFIRE PLAN

Israeli ministers met on Thursday to finalise the terms of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, the most significant breakthrough since the start of the two-year conflict. The US-mediated proposal, backed by regional partners, calls for a complete halt to fighting, withdrawal of Israel from specific areas, and prisoner exchange.

According to an Israeli government spokesperson, the ceasefire would take effect within 24 hours of cabinet approval. Hostages held in Gaza are to be released within 72 hours of the ceasefire taking hold. The cabinet session followed an earlier meeting of Israel’s security council, which gave the deal preliminary clearance.

The agreement comes just a day after the second anniversary of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, triggering Israel’s prolonged military campaign in Gaza that left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead and the enclave in ruins.

- Ends

With inputs from agencies