Israel will start talks to free all hostages, Netanyahu says

[ad_1] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated he has instructed negotiations to start for the discharge of all remaining hostages and an finish to the warfare in Gaza on phrases "acceptable to Israel".

Netanyahu instructed Israeli troops on Thursday evening that his cupboard had additionally accepted plans for a large assault on Gaza Metropolis within the north of the territory, regardless of widespread worldwide and home opposition.

Hamas agreed to a proposal drawn up by Qatari and Egyptian mediators for a 60-day ceasefire on Monday, which in accordance with Qatar would see the discharge of half of the remaining hostages in Gaza.

However responding for the primary time, Netanyahu has not accepted the deal presently on the desk.

Israeli media has cited an Israeli official as saying negotiators might be dispatched for renewed talks as soon as a location has been decided.

In a video assertion throughout a go to with the Gaza division's headquarters in Israel on Thursday evening, Netanyahu stated he had "instructed to right away start negotiations for the discharge of all our hostages".

"I've come to approve the IDF's (Israel Protection Forces) plans to take management of Gaza Metropolis and defeat Hamas," he stated.

"These two issues - defeating Hamas and releasing all our hostages - go hand in hand," Netanyahu added, with out offering particulars about what the following stage of talks would entail.

Israeli officers have this week been voicing opposition to a ceasefire deal that may solely contain the partial launch of hostages.

On Wednesday, Hamas accused Netanyahu of disregarding the mediators' ceasefire proposal and accused him of obstructing an settlement, in accordance with a press release cited by Reuters.

Final Saturday, Netanyahu's workplace put out a press release saying that Israel would solely "comply with a deal provided that all of the hostages are launched in a single go", and that the circumstances for ending the warfare included the disarming of Hamas, the demilitarisation of Gaza, Israeli management of the Gaza perimeter, and the set up of non-Hamas and non-Palestinian Authority governance.

Israel believes that solely 20 of the 50 hostages are nonetheless alive after 22 months of warfare.

Palestinians stated there had been heavy bombardment in japanese areas of Gaza Metropolis on Thursday, a day after the army stated it had taken the primary steps within the offensive.

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 within the south earlier than troops transfer in.

Gaza's Hamas-run well being ministry stated it rejected "any step that may undermine what stays of the well being system". The UN and support teams have vowed to remain to assist those that can not or select to not transfer.

Netanyahu introduced Israel's intention to take management of the whole Gaza Strip after oblique talks with Hamas on a ceasefire and hostage launch deal broke down final month.

The Israeli army launched a marketing campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, by which about 1,200 folks have been killed and 251 others have been taken hostage.

At the least 62,192 folks have been killed in Gaza since then, in accordance with the territory's well being ministry. The ministry's figures are quoted by the UN and others as essentially the most dependable supply of statistics obtainable on casualties.