Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that negotiations will begin for the release of all remaining hostages in Gaza, while also approving military plans for a large-scale assault on Gaza City.
Speaking to Israeli troops on Thursday night, Netanyahu said he had instructed negotiators to seek terms “acceptable to Israel,” linking the release of hostages directly to the defeat of Hamas.
“These two matters – defeating Hamas and releasing all our hostages – go hand in hand,” he declared in a video statement from the Gaza Division headquarters.
The announcement came days after Hamas accepted a Qatari- and Egyptian-mediated proposal for a 60-day ceasefire that would see the release of about half the remaining hostages. Israel, however, has rejected partial deals, insisting that all hostages must be freed simultaneously, alongside the disarming of Hamas, Gaza’s demilitarisation, Israeli perimeter control, and new governance excluding Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.
Israeli media reported that negotiators will be dispatched for renewed talks once a location is set. Meanwhile, Palestinian sources said heavy bombardments hit eastern Gaza City on Thursday as the IDF began the first phase of its planned offensive. The military has warned international organisations to prepare for the evacuation of Gaza’s one million residents before troops advance.
Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry rejected any forced mass evacuation, warning it would collapse what remains of the health system. The UN and aid agencies vowed to stay to assist civilians who cannot or will not flee. Israel estimates that only 20 of the 50 hostages are still alive, nearly two years after the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack that killed about 1,200 people and led to 251 kidnappings.
Since then, Israel’s military campaign has killed at least 62,192 people in Gaza, according to the territory’s health ministry, whose figures are widely cited by the UN and humanitarian groups. The developments highlight the widening gap between international calls for a ceasefire and Israel’s insistence on pursuing full military control of Gaza.
