Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel is on the verge of ending what he called “the seven-front war” with Iran and its allies and to begin immediate negotiations for the release of all hostages in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement issued during his visit to the Gaza Division, the PM said: “I came to approve the military plans to take over Gaza City to defeat Hamas.”
“At the same time,” he continued, “I have instructed to begin immediate negotiations for the release of all our hostages and an end to the war, on terms acceptable to Israel.”
Also on Thursday, the Israeli military said it began making “initial warning calls” to medical institutions and international organizations in northern Gaza to prepare for the evacuation of all one million Palestinians from Gaza City to the south, as part of a plan to reoccupy the city.
A military statement said the Israeli officers emphasized to the medical officials that adjustments are being made to the hospital infrastructure in the south of the Strip to receive the sick and wounded, alongside necessary medical equipment.
And as Israel escalated its aggression in the West Bank, 21 countries, including Britain and France, rejected Israel’s approval of a major settlement project in the West Bank and described it as “unacceptable and a violation of international law.”
On Wednesday, Israel approved plans for the roughly 12-square-kilometer parcel of land known as E1, just east of Jerusalem.
“We condemn this decision and call for its immediate reversal in the strongest terms,” said the statement of foreign ministers, whose signatories also included Australia, Canada and Italy.
