Netanyahu Hints Gaza Talks Now Target Full Hostage Release At Once

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has suggested that recent Gaza ceasefire discussions are now focused on a single and comprehensive agreement to secure the release of all remaining hostages, abandoning earlier proposals for a 60-day truce and partial release of living captives, reported by BBC.

Hamas confirmed that one delegation is in Cairo for “preliminary talks” with Egyptian officials, while mediators say the coming weeks may present a window for a breakthrough.

Military preparations continue

Despite the diplomatic moves, Israel has signalled plans to widen its military offensive to capture all of Gaza, including areas sheltering most of the territory’s two million residents. Israeli media reports suggest the operation will not begin until October, allowing time for reservist mobilisation and operational planning.

Israeli military chief Lt Gen Eyal Zamir has approved the “main framework” for the IDF’s next phase in Gaza.

Witnesses in Gaza City reported intensified Israeli airstrikes in the past 24 hours. Al-Shifa Hospital said seven members of one family, including five children, were killed in Tel al-Hawa when tents were struck. Al-Ahli Hospital reported 10 deaths from a strike on a house in the Zaytoun area.

Speaking with Israel’s i24 News, Netanyahu said that 

Approximately 50 hostages remain in Gaza from the Hamas-led attack of  October 7, 2023, with Israel believing roughly 20 are still alive. Netanyahu, facing mounting domestic pressure over both the hostages and his war expansion plans, said that Israel’s goals have not changed, and the war will end only when all hostages are returned and Hamas surrenders. (Inputs from BBC)

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