President Trump’s dramatic warning that he would "open the Gates of Hell" against Hamas if they failed to release all hostages by last Shabbat at noon sent shockwaves through the Arab world, but also agitated the Israeli public.
Many Israelis watched in disbelief as Trump declared his ultimatum while simultaneously stating that Netanyahu was free to act as he saw fit. Almost immediately, Israelis demanded that Netanyahu follow through exactly as Trump had threatened.
Netanyahu responded, affirming that the “gates would indeed be opened,” but he did not consider noon on Shabbat to be the appropriate moment. Instead, the government ordered the mobilization of IDF reserve forces and deployed them to the Gaza border.
The Israeli Public’s Response