Netanyahu to approve Gaza City takeover

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday he will give finalapproval forthe takeover of Gaza City while also restarting negotiations with Hamas aimed at returning all the remaining hostages and ending the war on Israel’s terms.

- BY WARAA Sit Waraa SHURAFA, SaLLy ABou ALJoUD AND MELANIE LIDMAN

The wide-scale operation in Gaza City could start within days since Netanyahu was set to grant final approvalat a meeting with senior security officials later Thursday. Hamas said this week that it had agreed toa ceasefire proposal from Arab mediators, which — if accepted by Israel — could forestall the offensive.

The Israeli military has begun calling medical officials and international organizations in the northern Gaza Strip to encourage them to evacuate to the south ahead of the expanded operation. The military plans to call up 60,000 reservists and extend the service of 20,000 more.

Israeli strikes, meanwhile, killed at least 36 Palestinians Thursday across Gaza, according to local hospitals. A renewed offensive could bring even more casualties and displacement to the territory, where the war has already killed tens of thousands and where experts have warned of imminent famine.

Many Israelis fear the operation could also doom the remaining 20 or soliving hostages taken by Hamas-led militants in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war.

Gaza City operation could start soon

During a visit to the military’s Gaza command in southern Israel, Netanyahu said he would approve the army’s plans to retake Gaza City and had instructed officials “to begin immediate negotiations” for the release ofallhostages “and anendto the war on terms acceptable to Israel.”

“These two things — defeating Hamas and releasing allour hostages — go handin hand,” he said.

It appeared to mark Israel’s first public response to the latest ceasefire proposal drawn up by Egypt and Qatar, Egyptian and Hamas officials say it is almost identical to an earlier one that Israel accepted before the talks stalled last month.

The proposal would include the release of some of the hostages in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, a pullback of Israeli forces and negotiations over amore lasting ceasefire.