Israel will begin negotiations of ceasefire, says Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had asked negotiations to start release from all remaining hostages and the end of the war in Gaza in terms of “acceptable to Israel”.

Netanyahu told Israeli troops on Thursday evening that his cabinet had also approved plans for a massive assault on the city of Gaza in the north of the territory, despite generalized international and national opposition.

Hamas has accepted a proposal written by Qatari and the 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 did not accept the agreement currently on the table.

In a video declaration during a visit with the headquarters of the Gaza division in Israel on Thursday evening, Netanyahu said that he had “asked to immediately start negotiations for the release of all our hostages”.

“I came to approve the FDI (Israeli defense forces) planning to take control of Gaza City and defeat Hamas,” he said.

“These two questions – defeat Hamas and release all our hostages – go hand in hand,” added Netanyahu, without providing details on the next stage of the talks.

Israeli officials expressed this week the opposition to a cease-fire contract which would only imply the partial liberation of the hostages.

Last Saturday, Netanyahu’s office published a statement saying that Israel would only accept an agreement provided that all hostages are published in one go “, and that the conditions for implementing war included the disarmament of Hamas, the demilitarization of Gaza, Israeli control of the Gaza perimeter and the installation of non-hamas and governance of non-pales.

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

The Ministry of Health managed by Gaza said that it had rejected “any step that would undermine what remains of the health system”. The UN and the help groups have promised to stay to help those who cannot or choose not to move.

Netanyahu announced Israel’s intention to take control of the entire Gaza Strip after indirect discussions with Hamas on a cease-fire and hostage release contract broke last month.