Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu informed the families of hostages held in Gaza that a deal for their release could be imminent, according to a statement from his office on Tuesday. This announcement comes amid ongoing intense conflict in the heavily bombarded Palestinian territory, where Israeli military casualties and the deaths of over 37,000 Palestinians have occurred during Israel’s four-month retaliatory campaign against Hamas.
A day after Netanyahu spoke in the Knesset, a protester blocked a car carrying a U.N. convoy in a bid to draw attention to the plight of Palestinian civilians caught up in the conflict. The incident was condemned by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, who called Gaza a “graveyard for children” and a “stain on the entire international order.”
The protest outside Netanyahu’s house came as an Israeli military official indicated that the government is prepared to accept a proposal that would see Hamas give up its weapons in return for a halt to Israel’s retaliatory offensive against the territory. The official, who was not authorized to speak to the media, said a proposal had been presented to Netanyahu in a face-to-face meeting with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden last month. The idea would see several Israeli prisoners released by Hamas while other prisoners in Israel’s jails are transferred to the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of hostages.
He said there had been some discussion of extending the prisoner transfer to include senior Hamas figures, but the idea was still being considered, and no decision had been made. The official emphasized that communication with the group has been difficult because of communication cuts, but mediation efforts were in full force, and negotiators were exchanging ideas around the clock.
The Israeli official said the prime minister also signaled that he was open to having a different authority govern Gaza after the war ends. However, he did not offer specifics of what that might look like. Israel has long resisted calls for an international presence in the Gaza Strip, which Hamas has ruled since 2007.
In other developments, Israeli forces pressed on with a raid into Gaza’s southern area of Khan Younis after ordering civilians to evacuate some districts it said had been used for renewed attacks by Palestinian militants. Airstrikes hit more than 30 sites, including a hospital, police headquarters, and observation posts, the military said.
A Palestinian civil defense official said the bombing caused some 70 casualties, including children and women. The assault, backed by tanks and infantry, also targeted several tunnel shafts, an observation post, and weapons storage facilities, the military added. The airstrikes lasted for more than two hours and caused extensive damage to buildings.
Those remarks were among the latest in a series of political blows to Netanyahu, who is under pressure from the right-wing leadership of his ruling coalition to pursue what he has described as “complete victory” against Hamas. Critics say he is avoiding a Cabinet-level debate about how to handle the aftermath of the war in a bid to prevent it from splitting up his governing coalition.
