Benjamin Netanyahu, Photo: Jini / Xinhua News / Profimedia
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Thursday evening that he gave “instructions for the immediate start of negotiations for the release of all” Israeli hostages in Gaza, after presenting by the mediators of a new armistice proposal, informs France Presse, quoted by Agerpres.
“We have given instructions for the immediate launch of negotiations for the release of all our hostages and to end the war under acceptable conditions for Israel,” said the prime minister, in a video broadcast by his press office.
He did not make any explicit reference to the latest proposal of mediators (Egypt, Qatar and USA), which provides, according to sources from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, a 60 -day armistice accompanied by the two -stage issuing taken on October 7 and still held captives in Gaza.
The plan was accepted Monday by the Palestinian Islamist Movement of Hamas, whose unprecedented attack on October 7, 2023 against Israel triggered the war.
In parallel, Netanyahu stated, before meeting the high -ranking commanders, that he came “to approve the plans” presented by the army and the Ministry of Defense “to take control over the city of Gaza and to overcome Hamas.”
Following the prime minister's instructions, the army is preparing for a vast offensive on the city of Gaza, considered one of the last Hamas bastions, after over 22 months of war that destroyed the Palestinian territory and made tens of thousands of dead.
The declared objectives of this offensive are the defeat of Hamas and the release of all the hostages.
Prime Ministry Benjamin Netanyahu at the Gaza Division:
“We're at the decisive stage. I cams to date to the gaza division in order to approve the plans that the idf present to me and to the defense ministry for taking control of gaza city and defating. pic.twitter.com/07vxsahfq1– Prime Ministry of Israel (@israelipm) August 21, 2025
