Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will give final approval for takeover of Gaza City while also restarting negotiations with Hamas aimed at returning all of Israel’s remaining hostages and ending the war on Israel’s terms.
The wide-scale operation in Gaza City could start within days after Netanyahu grants final approval at a meeting with senior security officials. Hamas said earlier this week that it had agreed to a ceasefire proposal from Arab mediators, which, if accepted by Israel, could forestall the offensive.
The Israeli military has been calling medical officials and international organisations in the northern Gaza Strip to encourage them to evacuate to the south ahead of the expanded operation. The military plans to call up 60,000 reservists and extend the service of 20,000 more.
It comes as a UN-backed group is set to officially declare a famine in parts of northern Gaza on Friday, while leaked Israeli intelligence data appeared to suggest that at least five out of every six Palestinians killed during this war have been civilians.
UK joins calls for Israel to allow foreign journalists into Gaza
The UK has called on Israel to allow foreign journalists to enter Gaza as Tel Aviv prepares to step up military operations in the territory.
In a statement alongside 25 other members of the Media Freedom Coalition, the UK urged Israel to “allow immediate independent foreign media access and afford protection for journalists operating in Gaza”.
The coalition said: “Journalists and media workers play an essential role in putting the spotlight on the devastating reality of war. Access to conflict zones is vital to carrying out this role effectively.”
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Netanyahu’s office says Israel will dispatch a team for negotiations
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, in a statement, said Israel will dispatch a delegation to hold talks for securing the release of hostages once the location for negotiations is determined.
It’s not clear whether Mr Netanyahu’s statement was coordinated with any of the Arab mediators who are currently waiting for Israel to respond to their phased hostage release proposal, according to Times of Israel.
It appeared to mark Israel’s first public response to the latest ceasefire proposal drawn up by Egypt and Qatar. Egyptian and Hamas officials say it is almost identical to an earlier one that Israel accepted before the talks stalled last month.
Hamas said earlier this week that it had agreed to the ceasefire proposal from Arab mediators, which could forestall the offensive, if agreed by Israel.
The proposal would include the release of some of the hostages in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, a pullback of Israeli forces and negotiations over a more lasting ceasefire.
In pics: Protests across occupied West Bank and Israel
Protests in Israel and Gaza
Hundreds gathered for a rare protest in Gaza City against Israel’s war and Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans to support the mass relocation of Palestinians to other countries.
Women and children held placards reading “Save Gaza” and “Stop the war, stop the savage attack, save us,” against a backdrop of destroyed buildings as Palestinian music played. Unlike in previous protests, there were no expressions of opposition to Hamas.
“We want the war on Gaza to stop. We don’t want to migrate. Twenty-two months — it’s enough. Enough death. Enough destruction,” said Bisan Ghazal, a woman displaced from Gaza City.
In Israel, protesters marched yesterday in Tel Aviv holding banners that read “The people will bring back the hostages” and “How much blood will be spilled?”
Among the demonstrators was Dudu Dotan, who said Mr Netanyahu is endangering the remaining hostages by moving forward with the planned Gaza City offensive.
Of the 50 still being held in Gaza, Israel believes about 20 hostages are still alive.”This way will not bring the hostages back,”
Mr Dotan said. “Every hostage he brought back, he brought back through deals. And every time he tried to bring them back with military force, he caused the hostages to be killed.”
Gaza City operation could ‘begin in days’
During a visit to the military’s Gaza command in southern Israel, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would approve the army’s plans to retake Gaza City and had instructed officials “to begin immediate negotiations” for the release of all hostages.
“These two things — defeating Hamas and releasing all our hostages — go hand in hand,” he said.
Mr Netanyahu yesterday claimed he will give final approval for the takeover of Gaza City while also restarting negotiations with Hamas aimed at returning all the remaining hostages.
His approval was expected during a meeting with senior security officials late last night, but no decision was announced before midnight in Jerusalem.
Hamas said earlier this week that it had agreed to a ceasefire proposal from Arab mediators, which — if accepted by Israel — could forestall the offensive.
Israel ramps up pressure on Gaza City as Palestinians face stark choice: ‘Die here or leave and die somewhere else’
Gaza City student prepares to say goodbye to her home as Israel issues evacuation order
Gaza City student prepares to say goodbye to home as Israel issues evacuation order
Netanyahu says Israel to begin Gaza ceasefire negotiations to end war, release hostages
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel will begin immediate negotiations for the release of all hostages held in Gaza and an end to the nearly two-year-old war on terms acceptable to Israel.
Speaking to soldiers serving in Gaza, Netanyahu said he was meeting commanders to approve plans for capturing Gaza City and defeating Hamas.
“At the same time I have issued instructions to begin immediate negotiations for the release of all our hostages and an end to the war on terms acceptable to Israel,” he said, adding: “We are in the decision-making phase.”
The Israeli military maintained its pressure on Gaza City into Thursday.
On Wednesday, the military called up 60,000 reservists in a sign that the government was pressing ahead with the plan, despite international condemnation.
Calling up tens of thousands of reservists is likely to take weeks, giving time for mediators to attempt to bridge gaps over a new temporary ceasefire proposal that Hamas has accepted, but the Israeli government has yet to officially respond to.
The proposal calls for a 60-day ceasefire and the release of 10 living hostages being held in Gaza by Hamas militants and of 18 bodies. In turn, Israel would release about 200 long-serving Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
The Israeli government has stated that all of the remaining 50 hostages held by militants in Gaza must be released at once. Israeli officials believe that around 20 of them are still alive.
