Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed to immediately start negotiations for the release of all hostages held in the Gaza Strip and for the end of the war. However, he added the caveat of 'acceptable conditions for Israel.' This indicates that he will not accept the mediation proposal that the Palestinian militant group Hamas has agreed to. At the same time, he approved plans for a large-scale military operation against Gaza City, the largest city in the Gaza Strip, raising the pressure on Hamas to the highest level.
According to Reuters, Netanyahu made this statement through a video announcement during a visit to troops near the Gaza Strip on the 21st (local time). His remarks come as the first official response since Hamas announced on the 18th that it accepted a temporary ceasefire proposal mediated by Egypt and Qatar. He emphasized that 'defeating Hamas and returning all hostages go hand in hand,' openly revealing his intention to leverage military pressure to gain an advantage in negotiations.
The current mediation proposal calls for a ceasefire for 60 days, during which Hamas would release 10 survivors among the hostages it holds and hand over 18 bodies. In exchange, Israel must release about 200 Palestinian prisoners, including long-term detainees. However, Israel insists that it must receive back all 50 hostages taken during Hamas's surprise attack in October 2023 (with an estimated 20 survivors) at once. The far-right faction in the Israeli coalition government opposes any ceasefire proposal that centers around partial hostage release. This presents a significant political burden for Netanyahu in accepting the current mediation proposal in its entirety.
Israel is simultaneously expressing its willingness to resume negotiations while intensifying preparations for military operations. It has already issued mobilization orders for 60,000 reservists and confirmed that it made warning calls to medical facilities and international organizations in northern Gaza City, urging them to prepare for the evacuation of residents. This indicates that if the conditions for the release of all hostages are not accepted, there will be stronger attacks instead of a ceasefire.
Meanwhile, the situation in the Gaza Strip has deteriorated to its worst due to nearly two years of war. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that at least 70 people died from Israeli attacks in the past 24 hours. Since the outbreak of the war, the number of residents who have died from Kia and malnutrition has reached 271. Frustrated Gaza residents took to the streets that day, shouting, 'Save Gaza, it's time to end this' in an unusual counter-protest.