Netanyahu still open for talks; wants all hostages released
發佈日期: 2025-08-22 21:39
TVB News
Israel's defence minister warned on Friday that Gaza City could be destroyed unless Hamas accepts Israel's terms, as the country prepares for an expanded offensive in the area.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visiting the military's Gaza division ahead of a planned assault on the enclave's biggest city.
The Israeli Defence Forces has outlined a strategy to take over Gaza City in a new effort to defeat Hamas and free the remaining hostates. Netanyahu says he is still open for negotiation.
He said he has come to the Gaza division to approve the IDF plans while ordering immediate negotiations for the release of all hostages and end the war on terms acceptable to Israel.
Israel wants Hamas to lay down their weapons but the Palestinian group said it will only disarm upon the creation of a recognised Palestinian state.
Hamas earlier agreed to a Qatar and Egypt ceasefire proposal in which it will release half the remaining hostages and halt fighting for 60 days.
Netanyahu has rejected the proposal, and intends to send his troops into Gaza City as part of a overall plan to capture the entire strip.
The Israeli military began calling medical officials and international organisations in the northern Gaza Strip to encourage them to evacuate to the south ahead of the expanded operation.
The IDF plans to call up 60,000 reservists and extend the service of 20,000 more.
As aid drops continue over the famine-strickened enclave, Israeli airstrikes killed more than 35 Palestinians across Gaza on Thursday.
Netanyahu's plan has been criticised by many Western countries, and is also under fire inside Israel.
Families and supporters of the Israeli hostages on Thursday marched through the streets of Tel Aviv, calling for an end to the war and for a deal to secure the release of their loved ones.
One protester said that Netanyahu does not care about the hostages. Every time he tried to bring the hostages back with military force, he caused the hostages to be killed, not returned, he said.
