Katz: "Israel to step up strikes on Gaza if Hamas does not release hostages"

Israel will intensify its strikes on the Gaza Strip if the Palestinian Hamas movement does not release the hostages, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday.
"The Hamas murderers must understand that if they do not release all our hostages, the attacks will continue and intensify," Katz said, according to the Defense Ministry press service.

The Israel Defense Forces said it was continuing to strike targets belonging to the radical Palestinian Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups in the Gaza Strip.

According to the latest data, the death toll from Israeli strikes has reached 438. Among the victims were also high-ranking officials.