Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Saturday that he had directed the military to intensify operations against Hamas after the group rejected an Israeli proposal for a temporary truce and instead demanded a deal to end the war in exchange for the release of hostages.
In a late-night televised address, Netanyahu emphasized Israel’s commitment to continuing the fight, stating, “We have no choice but to continue fighting for our very existence, until victory,” despite the heavy toll the war has taken.
Egyptian mediators have been attempting to broker a ceasefire after Israel abandoned a temporary truce last month. This truce had led to the release of 38 hostages. Hamas, the group responsible for the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, has insisted that it will only free the remaining hostages under a deal that ends the war.
Earlier on Saturday, Hamas claimed it had recovered the body of an Israeli soldier, Edan Alexander, who had been held captive in Gaza since the October 7 attacks. Hamas stated that it had lost contact with the group holding Alexander after their position was hit by an Israeli airstrike. The fate of Alexander remains unclear.
The conflict, which reignited after the collapse of the ceasefire in March, has resulted in more than 50 Palestinian deaths in airstrikes on Saturday alone, with 1,600 people killed in Gaza in the past month, according to Palestinian health authorities.
In a separate development, Khalil Al-Hayya, Hamas’ Gaza chief, stated on Thursday that the group was willing to exchange all remaining hostages for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel, provided that the war ended and Gaza’s reconstruction was guaranteed. He dismissed Israel’s demand for Hamas to disarm as “impossible.”
Israeli forces have ramped up their attacks on Gaza, seizing large portions of territory and urging evacuations from the region. As the violence intensifies, Israel’s military has reported the death of a 35-year-old soldier in combat on Saturday.
Meanwhile, in ongoing diplomatic efforts, U.S. and Iranian officials held their second round of indirect talks in Oman, aiming to lay the groundwork for a potential nuclear deal, though Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s stance against Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.
The war, which began with the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel in October 2023, has claimed the lives of over 51,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities.