Israel preparing ‘hell plan’ for Gaza to force Hamas to release more hostages

Israel is reportedly preparing a “hell plan” to pressure Hamas into releasing more hostages without needing to withdraw its troops from Gaza as envisaged under the second phase of the ceasefire.

The delicate truce between Israel and Hamas hangs in the balance after the six-week first phase ended on Sunday and the Benjamin Netanyahu government reimposed a siege on the Palestinian territory, stopping all aid supplies. There is now a serious risk of Israel resuming the war.

In the immediate term, the Israeli government is planning to further tighten restrictions on Gaza after stopping all food, fuel, medicine and other critical supplies into the war-wrecked territory, home to nearly 2 million people, over the weekend, the Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported, citing sources close to Mr Netanyahu.

The government was referring to the programme of measures as the “hell plan” that called for the mass expulsion of Palestinians to southern Gaza and shutting off power and water to the devastated community, Kan reported. It will come into effect if mediators fail to persuade Hamas to release more prisoners without requiring Israel to withdraw its troops from the territory, paving the way for the Netanyahu government to resume the war.

If that happens, the Israeli military will reportedly deploy the American bombs recently provided by the Donald Trump administration. In a statement to Israel’s parliament on Monday, Mr Netanyahu warned of unimaginable consequences for Hamas if the Palestinian group did not release more hostages. “I tell Hamas: if you do not release our hostages, there will be consequences that you cannot imagine,” the prime minister told lawmakers.

His defence minister, Israel Katz, warned that the “gates of hell will open” and the gates of Gaza will close. “We will return to fighting and they will face the army with forces and methods they have never encountered – until a decisive victory,” he said in a statement.

The news site Walla reported that Mr Katz had instructed the Israeli military to prepare to return to combat.

The military will be led, starting Wednesday, by a new chief of staff, Maj Gen Eyal Zamir, who has called for using more force in Gaza to achieve a quick and decisive victory over Hamas.

Hamas and fellow Palestinian armed groups are also reportedly getting ready for the resumption of fighting.

They are going back to a state of combat readiness, with those keeping Israeli hostages implementing stricter security measures, according to a report by Qatar’s Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

The ceasefire deal reached in January, after more than a year of negotiation mediated by the US, Egypt and Qatar, laid out a three-phase plan to return the Israeli hostages taken by Hamas during its October 2023 attack.

In the first phase, Hamas freed 25 hostages and the bodies of eight more in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The six-week phase further saw Israeli forces withdraw from most of Gaza and allow an influx of desperately needed humanitarian aid into the territory.

Although both sides accused each other of violations, the deal held.

The second phase was always going to be more difficult because it would require the Israeli military to pull out entirely from Gaza.

Instead of starting the second phase of the ceasefire, Israel is asking to extend the first phase through the ongoing Muslim fasting month of Ramadan and the Jewish Passover holiday ending on 20 April.

Palestinian groups still hold 59 Israeli hostages, but it is believed that at least 34 are dead.

Israel claims that extending the first phase of the ceasefire and reimposing the siege on Gaza was proposed by Mr Trump's Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff, and calls it the "Witkoff proposal”. The White House is yet to confirm this but says it supports whatever action Israel takes.

Hamas has rejected the plan and accused Israel of trying to sabotage the existing agreement under which the second phase was set to be set in motion this week.

The group is asking for the exchange of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the remaining hostages as initially envisaged, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a lasting ceasefire. But no substantive negotiations have been held yet.

Additional reporting by agencies.