In a video statement during a visit with the Gaza division’s headquarters in Israel on Thursday night, Netanyahu said he had “instructed to immediately begin negotiations for the release of all our hostages”.
“I have come to approve the IDF’s (Israel Defense Forces) plans to take control of Gaza City and defeat Hamas,” he said.
“These two matters – defeating Hamas and releasing all our hostages – go hand in hand,” Netanyahu added, without providing details about what the next stage of talks would entail.
Israeli officials have this week been voicing opposition to a ceasefire deal that would only involve the partial release of hostages.
Last Saturday, Netanyahu’s office put out a statement saying that Israel would only “agree to a deal on condition that all the hostages are released in one go”, and that the conditions for ending the war included the disarming of Hamas, the demilitarisation of Gaza, Israeli control of the Gaza perimeter, and the installation of non-Hamas and non-Palestinian Authority governance.
Israel believes that only 20 of the 50 hostages are still alive after 22 months of war.