CAIRO/JERUSALEM. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Thursday that Israel will immediately resume negotiations aimed at securing the release of hostages held in Gaza and ending the nearly two-year war, but only under conditions acceptable to Israel.
It was his first response to a temporary ceasefire proposal brokered by Egypt and Qatar, which Hamas accepted earlier this week. An Israeli official said negotiators would join once a location for the talks is finalized.
Speaking to troops near the Gaza border, Netanyahu said Israel would press ahead with plans to capture Gaza City, the enclave’s densely populated center, while pursuing parallel talks. “I have issued instructions to begin immediate negotiations for the release of all our hostages and an end to the war on terms acceptable to Israel,” he said, calling it “the decision-making phase.”
Israel’s security cabinet, chaired by Netanyahu, approved a military plan this month to seize Gaza City, despite appeals from international allies to reconsider. The government has made clear that any agreement must secure the release of all 50 hostages seized in Israel in October 2023, with officials believing around 20 remain alive.
The current proposal calls for a 60-day ceasefire, the release of 10 living hostages and 18 bodies held by Hamas, in exchange for about 200 long-serving Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Talks on a permanent ceasefire and the return of remaining hostages would follow.
Meanwhile, rare public protests broke out in Gaza City on Thursday as residents demanded an end to the war. Carrying banners that read “Save Gaza, enough” and “Gaza is dying by the killing, hunger, and oppression,” hundreds marched in a demonstration organized by civil unions. Journalist Tawfik Abu Jarad said the rally was a message that “the time has come for action to stop the military operations.”
The Gaza health ministry reported at least 70 deaths in Israeli strikes within 24 hours, including eight in the Sabra suburb. Among those killed was a Fatah leader and seven family members, according to the Palestinian movement. Israel has not commented on the report.
The Israeli military has called up 60,000 reservists in preparation for an offensive, though officials suggested there is still room for a ceasefire deal. Military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said warning calls had been made to international and medical organizations in northern Gaza, advising residents to prepare to move south.
A Gaza health ministry official confirmed the calls but rejected the relocation request, warning it would collapse the already fragile healthcare system. The ministry also said two more people died of starvation and malnutrition in the past day, raising the death toll from hunger-related causes to 271, including 112 children. Israel disputes the figures provided by the Gaza authorities.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
