Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Thursday that he has restarted discussions with the Palestinian group Hamas, aiming to finalize the Israeli Defense Forces’ (IDF) takeover of Gaza and to facilitate the release of remaining hostages.
“I’ve arrived here and green-lighted the IDF’s plan to retake Gaza City and defeat Hamas. Additionally, I’ve instructed that immediate talks for hostage liberation, aligned with what Israel deems acceptable, should commence,” Netanyahu stated on Thursday.
“The defeat of Hamas and the release of all our hostages are interconnected objectives,” the prime minister noted during a visit to the IDF’s central command in the southern part of Israel.
Israel has mobilized tens of thousands of reserve troops ahead of a potential military operation in Gaza City, which could commence soon.
IDF soldiers are currently engaged in regions of Gaza that were previously considered inaccessible, as reported by Israeli military officials on Wednesday.
Approximately 60,000 reservists have been called up, with an additional 20,000 extending their service. However, most reservists are not expected to enter Gaza City.
“Our active duty forces will predominantly conduct operations in the forthcoming phase of the mission,” explained a military official who preferred to remain anonymous while discussing media updates. “Five divisions will be engaged in diverse operations focused on Gaza.”
The recent ceasefire proposal driven by Arab leaders was accepted by Hamas, which is recognized as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. Netanyahu’s remarks seem to be Israel’s first response to the ceasefire offer initiated by officials from Qatar and Egypt. Egyptian representatives indicated that this proposal bears similarities to previous discussions back in July, which stalled between Israel and Hamas.
This ceasefire proposal suggests the release of hostages held by Hamas, the liberation of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, ongoing consultations for a long-term ceasefire, and the withdrawal of IDF troops from specific parts of Gaza.
Israeli forces have conducted limited operations in the Jabariya refugee camp and Zeitoun neighborhood in Gaza City, according to reports from the Associated Press. On Thursday, it was reported that Israeli forces killed 36 Palestinians across Gaza, with the IDF claiming to control about 75% of the strife-torn territory.
The conflict was ignited by Hamas militants on October 7, 2023, when they killed around 1,200 Israelis and took about 250 hostages. Since that day, Israeli forces have reported the deaths of over 62,000 Palestinians.
