Israel will begin talks to free all hostages, Netanyahu says

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he has instructed negotiations to begin for the release of all remaining hostages and an end to the war in Gaza on terms “acceptable to Israel”.

Netanyahu told Israeli troops on Thursday night that his cabinet had also approved plans for a massive assault on Gaza City in the north of the territory, despite widespread international and domestic opposition.

Hamas agreed to a proposal drawn up by Qatari and 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 has not accepted the deal currently on the table.

Israeli media has cited an Israeli official as saying negotiators will be dispatched for renewed talks once a location has been determined.

In a video statement during a visit with the Gaza division’s headquarters in Israel on Thursday night, Netanyahu said he had “instructed to immediately begin negotiations for the release of all our hostages”.

“I have come to approve the IDF’s (Israel Defense Forces) plans to take control of Gaza City and defeat Hamas,” he said.

“These two matters – defeating Hamas and releasing all our hostages – go hand in hand,” Netanyahu added, without providing details about what the next stage of talks would entail.

Israeli officials have this week been voicing opposition to a ceasefire deal that would only involve the partial release of hostages.

On Wednesday, Hamas accused Netanyahu of disregarding the mediators’ ceasefire proposal and accused him of obstructing an agreement, according to a statement cited by Reuters.

Last Saturday, Netanyahu’s office put out a statement saying that Israel would only “agree to a deal on condition that all the hostages are released in one go”, and that the conditions for ending the war included the disarming of Hamas, the demilitarisation of Gaza, Israeli control of the Gaza perimeter, and the installation of non-Hamas and non-Palestinian Authority governance.

Israel believes that only 20 of the 50 hostages are still alive after 22 months of war.

The IDF has warned medical officials and international organisations to prepare for the planned evacuation of Gaza City’s entire population of one million residents to shelters in the south before troops move in.

Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said it rejected “any step that would undermine what remains of the health system”.

The UN has said intensifying attacks and “relentless bombardment” in Gaza City are causing a “high numbers of civilian casualties and large-scale destruction”. It and aid groups have vowed to staxy to help those who cannot or choose not to move.

There are fears that the new military campaign in Gaza City will deepen the humanitarian crisis. The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification said last month that the “worst-case scenario of famine” was “playing out in Gaza.”

Netanyahu announced Israel’s intention to take control of the entire Gaza Strip after indirect talks with Hamas on a ceasefire and hostage release deal broke down last month.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 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 territory’s health ministry. The ministry’s figures are quoted by the UN and others as the most reliable source of statistics available on casualties.