Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had asked negotiations to start release from all remaining hostages and the end of the war in Gaza in terms of “acceptable to Israel”.
Netanyahu told Israeli troops on Thursday evening that his cabinet had also approved plans for a massive assault on the city of Gaza in the north of the territory, despite generalized international and national opposition.
Hamas has accepted a proposal written by Qatari and the Egyptian mediators for a 60-day ceasefire on Monday, which, according to Qatar, would see the release of half of the remaining hostages in Gaza.
But responding for the first time, Netanyahu did not accept the agreement currently on the table.
The Israeli media have cited an Israeli official saying that negotiators will be sent for talks renewed once a place has been determined.
In a video declaration during a visit with the headquarters of the Gaza division in Israel on Thursday evening, Netanyahu said that he had “asked to immediately start negotiations for the release of all our hostages”.
“I came to approve the FDI (Israeli defense forces) planning to take control of Gaza City and defeat Hamas,” he said.
“These two questions – defeat Hamas and release all our hostages – go hand in hand,” added Netanyahu, without providing details on the next stage of the talks.
Israeli officials expressed this week the opposition to a cease-fire contract which would only imply the partial liberation of the hostages.
On Wednesday, Hamas accused Netanyahu of not taking into account the ceasefire proposal for mediators and accused it of having obstructed an agreement, according to a statement quoted by Reuters.
Last Saturday, Netanyahu’s office published a statement saying that Israel would only accept an agreement provided that all hostages are published in one go “, and that the conditions for implementing war included the disarmament of Hamas, the demilitarization of Gaza, Israeli control of the Gaza perimeter and the installation of non-hamas and governance of non-pales.
Israel estimates that only 20 of the 50 hostages are still alive after 22 months of war.
[BBC]
The Palestinians said that there had been heavy bombardments in the eastern regions of Gaza City on Thursday, one day after the army said it took the first steps of the offensive.
The FDI has warned of medical officials and international organizations to prepare for the planned evacuation of the entire population of Gaza City of a million residents in shelters in the South before the troops settled.
The Ministry of Health managed by Gaza said that it had rejected “any step that would undermine what remains of the health system”. The UN and the help groups have promised to stay to help those who cannot or choose not to move.
Netanyahu announced Israel’s intention to take control of the entire Gaza Strip after indirect discussions with Hamas on a cease-fire and hostage release contract broke last month.
The Israeli army launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the attack by Hamas against southern Israel on October 7, 2023, during which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
At least 62,192 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the Ministry of Health in the territory. The ministry’s figures are cited by the UN and the others as the most reliable source of statistics available on the victims.
