Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night announced his support for an agreement with Hamas to end the war in Gaza, but only if it meant the release of all the remaining hostages.
“We will agree to an agreement in which all the hostages are released at once and according to our conditions for ending the war, which include the disarmament of Hamas, the demilitarization of the Strip, Israeli control of the perimeter, and the establishment of a governing authority that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority, and that will live in peace with Israel,” the premier said, according to his office.
His comments came after Netanyahu’s adviser reportedly did not rule out a partial deal. Israel’s Channel 12 News also reported on Saturday that the Israeli negotiating team has told the political echelon that there have been changes in Hamas’s position over the past week that could allow for the terrorist group to return to negotiations on a phased deal based on the outline proposed by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.
Channel 12 reported that the defense establishment supports a partial deal. According to the report, security officials and some Likud ministers are urging the government not to give up on a partial deal. However, in addition to Netanyahu, Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and other ministers support only a full deal to return all of the hostages and end the war on Jerusalem’s terms.
A Qatari delegation has arrived in Egypt and there is an accelerated attempt to bring the parties back to the negotiating table.
Meanwhile, a discussion was held on Saturday night in the Israel Defense Forces Southern Command ahead of presenting operational plans for the Gaza City offensive to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir. Zamir is expected to approve several courses of action and present them to Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz for final authorization.
The IDF said on Friday that troops have already been operating in recent days in Gaza City’s southwestern Zeitoun quarter, targeting explosives, gunmen and terrorist infrastructure above and below ground. The military said on Saturday that it was preparing to relocate residents out of combat zones to southern Gaza ahead of the offensive.
According to Israeli authorities, Palestinian terrorist factions in Gaza continue to hold 50 hostages, of whom 20 are believed to be alive. During the Hamas-led invasion of the western Negev on Oct. 7, 2023, 251 people were kidnapped to the Strip. Hamas also holds the body of IDF Lt. Hadar Goldin from 2014.
