Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Thursday that he has given final approval for the Israeli military’s planned takeover of Gaza City while also reopening talks with the Palestinian militant group Hamas to secure the release of remaining hostages.
“I came here to approve the IDF plans for taking control of Gaza City and defeating Hamas. In parallel, I instructed to begin immediate negotiations for the release of all our hostages and the end of the war, on conditions that are acceptable for Israel,” Netanyahu said Thursday, referring to the Israeli military by its acronym.
“Those two things, the defeat of Hamas and the release of all our hostages, go hand in hand,” he added during a visit to the military’s Gaza command in southern Israel.
Israel is mobilizing tens of thousands of reservists ahead of the expanded operation in Gaza City, which could begin in the coming days.
The soldiers are expected to operate in areas of Gaza City where Israeli forces have not previously conducted missions, an Israeli military official said Wednesday. About 60,000 reservists have been called up, with another 20,000 having their service extended, though most are not expected to enter Gaza City directly.
“All that said, in Gaza, the main forces operating in the next stage of the operation will be our active duty forces,” the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the media. “We will have five divisions operating in Gaza, focusing on Gaza City in different operations.”
The latest Arab-led ceasefire proposal, accepted by Hamas, a U.S.-government-designated foreign terrorist organization, appears to be the first official response from Israel. Crafted by Qatari and Egyptian officials, the proposal closely mirrors one Jerusalem had agreed to before talks with Hamas collapsed in July.
The ceasefire plan includes the release of some hostages held by Hamas, the freeing of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, continuation of negotiations for a long-term truce, and withdrawal of Israeli forces from parts of Gaza.
Limited Israeli operations have already started in the Jabaliya refugee camp and in Zeitoun, a neighborhood in Gaza City, The Associated Press reported Thursday. According to the AP, Israeli forces killed 36 Palestinians across Gaza on Thursday, citing local hospitals, and claimed control of roughly 75 percent of the enclave.
The conflict escalated after Hamas killed around 1,200 Israelis and took about 250 hostages on Oct. 7, 2023. Since then, the Israeli military has reportedly killed over 62,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.
