“These two things—defeating Hamas and releasing all our hostages—go hand in hand,” said the Israeli premier.
JNS Staff
(JNS)Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday night that he had approved plans to conquer Gaza City and destroy Hamas, while stressing that negotiations on a ceasefire-for-hostages deal would move forward in parallel.
“We are at the stage of decision,” Netanyahu said. “I came today to the [military’s] Gaza Division to approve the plans presented to me and the defense minister by the IDF to take control of Gaza City and to defeat Hamas.”
He added that he had instructed officials to pursue talks to secure the release of the 50 hostages still held by Palestinian terrorists in the enclave.
“At the same time, I directed to begin immediate negotiations for the release of all our hostages and to end the war under conditions acceptable to Israel. These two things—defeating Hamas and releasing all our hostages—go hand in hand,” said Netanyahu.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday that the Trump administration was continuing to discuss a ceasefire proposal and confirmed that Hamas had accepted it.
A day earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump said that the remaining captives would return only when Hamas is “confronted and destroyed.”
“The sooner this takes place, the better the chances of success will be,” he wrote on Truth Social.
U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff noted on Tuesday that Trump’s post changed the Palestinian terrorist group’s calculations.
“Three weeks ago, that proposal was on the table and they slow-played us, Hamas. And the president put out his Truth statement saying that he wasn’t going to tolerate it anymore and guess what happened? There’s been a major break,” Witkoff said.
According to Arab media, the proposal features a pullout of Israeli forces from some areas of the Gaza Strip, the release of 10 out of the 20 living hostages held by Hamas and the freedom of more than 200 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel during a 60-day ceasefire.
On Thursday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir toured Gaza ahead of the planned major offensive, accompanied by Southern Command head Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor and other senior officers.
“We are advancing with the efforts toward operations in Gaza City. We already have troops operating on the outskirts of the city, and more forces will join them later on,” said Zamir.
“Our missions remain the release of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas—we will not rest and we will not stop until we complete them. Achieving these missions are vital for our future and for our values as a society,” he added.
Zamir said Hamas had been severely weakened since the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, reduced from a powerful terrorist organization to a guerrilla force. He added that Israel would continue to target the group relentlessly, for as long and wherever necessary.
During the tour, the chief of staff met with commanders and soldiers of the Kfir Brigade and other units operating in the area.
“We are in discussions with the political echelon regarding the plans going forward, while we are achieving the best operational results on the battlefield to present them with the widest range of options,” Zamir told the troops.
He added, “Our struggle is still long, and many challenges lie ahead. All of Israel is looking at you and relying on you. We have no alternative but victory.”
As part of preparations for a Gaza City operation, IDF Gaza District Coordination and Liaison officers in COGAT made initial warning calls this week to medical officials and international organizations in the northern Strip.
The Israeli officers stressed that adjustments are being made to hospital infrastructure in the enclave’s south to receive the sick and wounded, alongside an increased delivery of medical equipment in line with requests from aid organizations.
Before troops enter Gaza City, some 800,000 to 1 million residents will be evacuated south along a humanitarian route to the al-Mawasi area in Rafah. There will be two additional field hospitals and four more Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid distribution centers set up, according to Israel’s Channel 12 News. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said recently the plan is to scale up GHF sites to 16.
Israeli forces have gained control of over 75 percent of the Gaza Strip and have killed 2,000 terrorists since renewing ground operations following a ceasefire some five months ago.
Other achievements since March 18 include strikes on 10,000 terror targets and establishing the Morag and Magen Oz corridors—the former dividing Hamas’s Rafah and Khan Yunis Brigades and the latter splitting the Khan Yunis Brigade from east to west.
Hundreds of Israeli Air Force fighter jets, as well as Israeli naval forces, have been involved in strikes on Hamas targets, including senior commanders who took part in the Oct. 7 invasion of southern Israel that started the war.
Five IDF divisions operating simultaneously across Gaza have dismantled terror tunnels, eliminated terrorist cells and neutralized Hamas strongholds above and below ground.
Defense Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday authorized the call-up of 60,000 reservists and extended service orders for an additional 20,000 after approving the plan to conquer Gaza City. The reservists are being mobilized to replace active-duty soldiers in other sectors across the country to free them up for the offensive against one of the last Hamas strongholds in the Strip, which could commence in early September.
Featured Image: Israel soldiers during combat operations in the Gaza Strip, August 2025. Credit: IDF.
Published on Thu, 21 Aug 2025 22:21:27 -0400. Original article link
