Netanyahu Says He Will Push Forward With Gaza Metropolis Takeover And Renewed Ceasefire Talks

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Thursday he’ll give remaining approval for the takeover of Gaza Metropolis whereas additionally restarting negotiations with Hamas geared toward returning all of the remaining hostages and ending the warfare on Israel’s phrases.

The wide-scale operation in Gaza Metropolis might begin inside days. Netanyahu’s approval was anticipated throughout a gathering with senior safety officers late Thursday, however no resolution was introduced earlier than midnight in Jerusalem. Hamas stated earlier this week that it had agreed to a ceasefire proposal from Arab mediators, which — if accepted by Israel — might forestall the offensive.

The Israeli army has begun calling medical officers and worldwide organizations within the northern Gaza Strip to encourage them to evacuate to the south forward of the expanded operation. The army plans to name up 60,000 reservists and prolong the service of 20,000 extra.

Israeli strikes, in the meantime, killed not less than 36 Palestinians Thursday throughout Gaza, in keeping with native hospitals. A renewed offensive might carry much more casualties and displacement to the territory, the place the warfare has already killed tens of 1000’s and the place specialists have warned of imminent famine.

Many Israelis worry the operation might additionally doom the remaining 20 or so dwelling hostages taken by Hamas-led militants within the Oct. 7, 2023, assault that ignited the warfare.

Throughout a go to to the army’s Gaza command in southern Israel, Netanyahu stated he would approve the military’s plans to retake Gaza Metropolis and had instructed officers “to begin immediate negotiations” for the discharge of all hostages “and an end to the war on terms acceptable to Israel.”

“These two things — defeating Hamas and releasing all our hostages — go hand in hand,” he stated.

It appeared to mark Israel’s first public response to the newest ceasefire proposal drawn up by Egypt and Qatar. Egyptian and Hamas officers say it’s virtually equivalent to an earlier one which Israel accepted earlier than the talks stalled final month.

The proposal would come with the discharge of a few of the hostages in trade for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, a pullback of Israeli forces and negotiations over a extra lasting ceasefire.

Israeli troops have already begun extra restricted operations in Gaza Metropolis’s Zeitoun neighborhood and the built-up Jabaliya refugee camp, areas the place they’ve carried out a number of earlier large-scale raids over the course of the warfare, solely to see militants later regroup.

The army says it plans to function in areas the place floor troops haven’t but entered and the place it says Hamas nonetheless has army and governing capabilities.

To date, there was little signal of Palestinians fleeing en masse, as they did when Israel carried out an earlier offensive in Gaza Metropolis within the opening weeks of the warfare. The army says it controls round 75% of Gaza, and residents say nowhere within the territory feels secure.

Tons of gathered Thursday for a uncommon protest in Gaza Metropolis in opposition to the warfare and Israel’s plans to help the mass relocation of Palestinians to different international locations.

Girls and youngsters held placards studying “Save Gaza” and “Stop the war, stop the savage attack, save us,” in opposition to a backdrop of destroyed buildings as Palestinian music performed. Not like in earlier protests, there have been no expressions of opposition to Hamas.

“We want the war on Gaza to stop. We don’t want to migrate. Twenty-two months … it’s enough. Enough death. Enough destruction,” stated Bisan Ghazal, a girl displaced from Gaza Metropolis.

In Israel, protesters marched Thursday night time in Tel Aviv holding banners that learn “The people will bring back the hostages” and “How much blood will be spilled?”

Among the many demonstrators was Dudu Dotan, who stated Netanyahu is endangering the remaining hostages by shifting ahead with the deliberate Gaza Metropolis offensive. Of the 50 nonetheless being held in Gaza, Israel believes about 20 hostages are nonetheless alive.

“This way will not bring the hostages back,” Dotan stated. “Every hostage he brought back, he brought back through deals. And every time he tried to bring them back with military force, he caused the hostages to be killed.”

Plans for widening the offensive have additionally sparked worldwide outrage, with lots of Israel’s closest Western allies — however not the US — calling on it to finish the warfare.

No less than 36 Palestinians had been killed Thursday by Israeli hearth throughout the Gaza Strip, together with 14 who had been in search of humanitarian support, in keeping with native hospitals. The army says it solely targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas as a result of it operates in densely populated areas.

The Israeli army stated it killed a number of armed militants within the Morag Hall, a army zone the place folks in search of support have repeatedly come below hearth in latest weeks, in keeping with witnesses and well being officers. Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza had earlier reported that six folks had been killed in that space whereas in search of support on Thursday. It was not attainable to reconcile the 2 accounts.

The Media Freedom Coalition, which promotes press freedoms worldwide, known as Thursday for Israel to permit impartial international information organizations entry to Gaza. Except for uncommon guided excursions, Israel has barred worldwide media throughout the warfare, wherein not less than 184 Palestinian journalists and media employees have been killed.

“Journalists and media workers play an essential role in putting the spotlight on the devastating reality of war,” stated a press release signed by 27 of the coalition’s member international locations.

Israeli airstrikes additionally destroyed a tent camp in Deir al-Balah, the one metropolis in Gaza that has been comparatively unscathed within the warfare and the place many have sought refuge. Residents stated the Israeli army warned them to flee shortly earlier than the strikes set the camp ablaze, and there have been no reviews of casualties.

Households, many with youngsters, might later be seen sifting by means of the ashes for the belongings that they had managed to take with them throughout earlier evacuations.

Mohammad Kahlout, who had been displaced from northern Gaza, stated they got simply 5 minutes to collect what they may and evacuate. “We are civilians, not terrorists. What did we do, and what did our children do, to be displaced again?”

The Gaza Health Ministry stated Thursday that not less than 62,192 Palestinians have been killed within the warfare. One other two folks have died from malnutrition-related causes, bringing the entire variety of such deaths to 271, together with 112 youngsters, the Health Ministry stated.

The ministry is a part of the Hamas-run authorities and staffed by medical professionals. It doesn’t say whether or not these killed by Israeli hearth are civilians or combatants, but it surely says round half had been ladies and youngsters. The U.N. and plenty of impartial specialists contemplate its figures to be probably the most dependable estimate of wartime casualties. Israel disputes its toll however has not supplied its personal.

Hamas-led militants began the warfare after they attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 folks, largely civilians, and abducting 251. Many of the hostages have been launched in ceasefires or different offers. Hamas says it would solely free the remainder in trade for a long-lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal.

Abou Aljoud reported from Beirut, and Lidman reported from Jerusalem. Related Press Author Mari Yamaguchi contributed from Tokyo.