Shafaq News – Middle East
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Thursday that he will give final approval for the takeover of Gaza City while restarting negotiations with Hamas for the release of remaining hostages, according to Ynet News.
During a visit to the Israeli military’s Gaza command, Netanyahu confirmed he would approve the army’s plan to control the city and instructed officials “to begin immediate negotiations on the release of all our hostages and an end to the war on terms acceptable to Israel,” adding, “These two things — defeating Hamas and releasing all our hostages — go hand in hand.”
Hamas announced earlier this week that it had accepted a ceasefire plan brokered by Egypt and Qatar. Mediators described the proposal as nearly identical to one Israel accepted before talks collapsed last month, involving the release of some of the hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a pullback of Israeli forces, and negotiations on a permanent truce.
Israel has entered the second phase of Operation Gideon’s Chariots, launching a ground offensive in Gaza and calling up 60,000 additional reservists beginning in September. The army has advanced into Gaza City, securing its outskirts, with the 99th Division operating in the al-Zaytoun neighborhood in the southeast of the city. Hamas condemned the new phase as an escalation of “genocide” against nearly one million residents and displaced civilians sheltering in the city.
The timing of the operation has stirred fears among Israelis that it could endanger the roughly 20 hostages still believed to be alive.
Meanwhile, the toll in Gaza continues to mount. The Ministry of Health reported 70 deaths and 356 injuries in the past 24 hours, bringing the total since October 7, 2023, to 62,192 killed and 157,114 wounded. Hospitals also registered two additional deaths from famine and malnutrition, raising the total to 271, including 112 children.
While Israel insists it is targeting Hamas fighters, an investigation by +972 Magazine, Local Call, and the Guardian — based on internal Israeli intelligence data — concluded that at least 83 percent of Palestinians killed in the campaign were civilians.