PM Netanyahu gives green light for Gaza offensive, approves negotiations for broad agreement to end war

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday approved the IDF’s plan to capture Gaza City and authorized the start of negotiations for the release of all Israeli hostages and an end to the war during a Cabinet meeting.

“We're at the decisive stage. I came today to the Gaza Division in order to approve the plans that the IDF presented to me and to the Defense Minister for taking control of Gaza City and defeating Hamas,” Netanyahu stated.

“I greatly appreciate the mobilization of the reserve soldiers, and of course, the regular army, for this essential cause.”

“In parallel, I have instructed to begin immediate negotiations for the release of all our hostages and the end of the war, on conditions that are acceptable for Israel,” Netanyahu announced.

“Those two things, the defeat of Hamas and the release of all our hostages, go hand in hand.”

It wasn’t immediately clear how Netanyahu’s announcement would affect negotiations with Hamas.

After the collapse of the ceasefire negotiations several weeks ago, Israel decided to prepare a large-scale assault on Gaza City, for which Netanyahu gave the final approval on Thursday.

In addition, Israel and the United States have vowed to refuse any new "partial" deal that only releases a portion of the hostages in exchange for a limited ceasefire, instead seeking a final agreement to release all hostages and end the war.

However, mediators from Qatar and Egypt continued efforts to return Hamas to the negotiating table, and the terror group announced on Monday that it had agreed to the outline for another partial deal.

Netanyahu had not decisively ruled out negotiations over the outline until Thursday.

The fact that he approved the military offensive, coupled with the wording in his statement, insisting on the release of “all” hostages as well as “conditions acceptable to Israel,” indicates that while a negotiation channel will be kept open, the military will continue ahead with its offensive on the ground.

Several hours later, a “political source” clarified to Israeli media outlets: “Once the location for conducting negotiations is determined, the Prime Minister will order to send an Israeli delegation to conduct negotiations regarding all the hostages – both the living and the deceased – and to end the war under Israel's terms.”

“These two objectives – defeating Hamas and securing the release of all our hostages – go hand in hand,” a political source told The Jerusalem Post.

The source added that the prime minister was impressed with the plans the army presented to him at the Gaza Division: “The plans are solid.”

At the crucial meeting, Netanyahu was joined by Defense Minister Israel Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, and others.

Katz later stated that the approved plans aimed to defeat Hamas “through intense firepower, evacuation of residents, and maneuvering.”

“Soon, the gates of hell will open upon the heads of Hamas murderers and rapists in Gaza – until they agree to Israel's terms for ending the war, foremost among them the release of all hostages and the disarmament of Hamas,” he vowed.

“If they do not agree – Gaza, the Hamas capital, will become like Rafah and Beit Hanoun. Just as I promised – so it shall be.”