Netanyahu says Israel to begin Gaza truce talks, approve Gaza City attack plan

Jerusalem, Aug 22 (IANS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had instructed officials to begin "immediate negotiations" for the release of hostages in Gaza and an end to the war, while also vowing to approve military plans to seize Gaza City.

"I came to approve the IDF's (Israel Defense Forces) plans to take control of Gaza City and to defeat Hamas," Netanyahu said on Thursday, during a visit to a military base near the Palestinian enclave.

"At the same time, I instructed to begin immediate negotiations for the release of all our hostages and an end to the war on terms acceptable to Israel," he said.

Netanyahu did not say how or where the negotiations would begin, Xinhua news agency reported.

Israel's Ynet news site, citing a senior official, reported that no delegation is expected to depart for Doha or Cairo at this stage.

An Israeli official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that Netanyahu and his security cabinet were expected to convene on Thursday night to give final approval for the assault on the enclave's largest city,

The announcement came a day after the military mobilized 60,000 reservists and said 20,000 more would be called up in the coming days.

Earlier this week, Hamas agreed to a proposal put forward by Egyptian and Qatari mediators for a temporary truce and the release of hostages. Israel has not yet publicly issued an official response.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu also said earlier this week that Israel would agree to end the offensive only if five conditions were met: Hamas's disarmament, the release of hostages, Gaza's demilitarization, Israeli security control over the enclave, and the appointment of a non-Israeli body to run daily life there which, he stressed, would not be Hamas or the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority.

Israeli forces continued bombardments of Gaza City overnight and carried out strikes elsewhere, killing at least 70 people and wounding 356 others, according to Gaza's health authorities. The death toll from Israeli strikes and shootings since October 7, 2023, has risen to 62,192, with 157,114 others wounded, the authorities said.

--IANS

int/rs