Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today pledged to increase pressure on “Hamas“ in Gaza while continuing negotiations for the release of hostages, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
Netanyahu said the government had agreed to increase pressure on the Islamist group “Hamas“, which in turn said it had agreed to a ceasefire proposal made by mediators Egypt and Qatar. According to security sources, the proposal includes the release of five Israeli hostages each week. Israel has demanded that the Islamists disarm, but the group has ruled out doing so.
The prime minister rejected claims that Israel was not negotiating, saying it was “taking them under fire and that is why they are effective.” “We are seeing cracks suddenly appearing,” he said.
Today, the first day of the Muslim holiday of Ramadan, health authorities in Gaza reported that at least 20 people, including several children, had been killed in Israeli strikes. Nine of them were in a tent in the southern city of Khan Younis.
On March 18, Israel resumed bombing Gaza after a two-month truce. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed and tens of thousands have been forced to evacuate areas in northern Gaza where they had returned after a ceasefire agreement in January.
Netanyahu said he wanted "Hamas" to disarm and the group's leaders to be allowed to leave the enclave, adding that Israel would provide comprehensive security in the Gaza Strip and allow the implementation of "Trump's" plan for voluntary emigration. "This is the plan, we are not hiding it, we are ready to discuss it at any time," the prime minister added, without giving details on how long Israeli forces would remain in the enclave.
Trump has proposed that Gaza's entire population of 2.3 million move to other countries, including Egypt and Jordan, then turn Gaza into a US-owned resort. But no country has agreed to accept the enclave's population, and following the US president's plan, Israel has said that any Palestinian departure will be voluntary.
The Israeli prime minister is expected to travel to Hungary this week at the invitation of Viktor Orban, Netanyahu's office said. The trip will begin on Wednesday and Netanyahu will return to Israel on Sunday.
The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu on suspicion of war crimes in Gaza, but Orban has said he will not comply with it.