Citing Trump's support, Smotrich calls for 'fire & brimstone,' annexing parts of Gaza if Israeli hostages are harmed

After U.S. President Donald Trump’s ultimatum to Hamas on Tuesday, many Israeli leaders responded favorably and urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to follow through on the president’s threats. 

Among them, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich of the Religious Zionism party released a video statement on Tuesday evening, urging Netanyahu make his own ultimatum. 

After saying that “Hamas is cruelly manipulating the families of the hostages, their broken hearts, manipulating Israeli society and tearing it apart from within,” Smotrich called for action. 

“Mr. Prime Minister, I call on you, following such a moral, simple, and clear statement by President Trump, to inform Hamas unequivocally: Either all the hostages are released by Saturday – the beatings are over, the games are over – or the gates of hell are opened on them, and that means no electricity, no water, no fuel, no humanitarian aid,” Smotrich said in the video.

“There is only fire and brimstone from our planes and artillery and tanks and our heroic fighters. There is a complete occupation of the Gaza Strip. There is an expulsion of all Gazans from the Strip in continuation of President Trump's plan, there is a taking of territory and the imposition of sovereignty over it, because this is the painful price that our enemy understands.” 

Smotrich’s statement came shortly after Netanyahu made his own statement calling for the hostages to be released on Saturday or the “IDF will resume intense fighting.”  

Opposition MK Yair Lapid responded to Smotrich’s statement on 𝕏, writing, “The Israeli government must bring everyone home. There is nothing as important. There is nothing as urgent. The hostages do not have time.” 

Lapid also blamed Netanyahu for the apparent collapse of the hostage release. 

“Hamas is a despicable terror organization that will do anything to harm hostages and Israel. We have no expectations from Hamas,” Lapid wrote, continuing, “The responsibility lies with Netanyahu, who is again delaying, again harming the process, again abandoning the hostages. He doesn’t need to be afraid of Smotrich; he has a security net to bring them home.” 

Earlier on Tuesday, Smotrich gave a speech at the Institute for Haredi Strategy and Policy, where he said that “for every one of our hostages who – God forbid – is harmed, we will impose sovereignty over five percent of the territory of the Gaza Strip. We have full backing from President Trump.” 

Opposition MK Benny Gantz, of the National Unity party, spoke at the same conference, saying the purpose of the ceasefire is the return of the hostages. 

“As I understand it, this ceasefire, at its core, is about the release of the hostages. And if the release of the hostages does not take place, then there is no reason for the ceasefire,” Gantz stated. “Therefore, the situation, as far as I am concerned, is binary. Either the hostages return, or we resume fighting. It’s that simple.”

The Tikva Forum, composed of right-wing hostage and bereaved families, called on Prime Minister Netanyahu to heed U.S. President Trump's deadline and give Hamas an ultimatum of his own to return all the hostages, or else “the gates of hell will open.” 

“Enough excuses,” the group said. “All the hostages in one day on one bus.” 

The forum, which is largely supportive of Prime Minister Netanyahu and the coalition government, called for a return to fighting if the hostages are not released. 

“The government of Israel must set a date today after which if all the hostages – both living and dead – do not return, there will be no more Gaza.” The Tikvah Forum’s statement came shortly before Netanyahu’s statement was released. 

The Hostages and Missing Family Forum released its own statement, calling on Netanyahu to complete the ceasefire agreement. 

"Prime Minister, you made the decision to bring all our hostages home through an agreement. We must not go backwards. We cannot allow the hostages to waste away in captivity,” the group stated.

“The shocking events of recent days demonstrate the urgent need to accelerate the timeline, complete the full negotiations immediately, and bring back every last hostage with utmost urgency.” 

Following Trump's meeting with Jordanian King Abdullah II, the White House released a statement on the summary of the meeting which emphasized that Trump insists on the Saturday deadline. 

“The President reiterated that Hamas must release all hostages, including all Americans, by Saturday, and asked for the King’s assistance in ensuring that Hamas, as well as the leaders of the region, understand the severity of the situation,” the statement said.