Israel warns it will ‘intensify’ operation in Gaza if no progress is made on hostages

Israel’s defense minister warned on Tuesday that the army is ready to “intensify” its military operations against Hamas “in the entire Gaza Strip” if there is no progress on the release of hostages held in the Palestinian territory, according to AFP.

“We are prepared to compromise to bring back the hostages, but if we have no choice, we will intensify the operation in the entire strip – in the south, center and north,” Yoav Gallant said amid negotiations in Cairo, where Israel sent a delegation after weeks of fruitless talks.

The defense minister spoke from the Rafah border crossing with Egypt in the southern Gaza Strip, where Israeli armored vehicles deployed on the Palestinian side in the morning and, according to the Israeli military, took control seven months after the war began.

The deal negotiated in Cairo is to include an exchange of Palestinians held by Israel for hostages held in the Gaza Strip by Palestinian armed movements since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that he had instructed the Israeli delegation to “continue to be firm on the conditions necessary for the release” of the hostages, as well as on the “essential” conditions to guarantee Israel’s security.

The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas said on Monday it had accepted a draft truce presented by Egypt and Qatar, the contents of which were not disclosed.

The war broke out on October 7 when Hamas commandos infiltrated from the Gaza Strip launched an attack in southern Israel that killed more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP report based on official Israeli data.

More than 250 people have been kidnapped and 128 are still held captive in Gaza, of whom 35 have died, according to the army.

In retaliation, Israel launched a military operation in the Gaza Strip that left 34,789 dead, mostly civilians, according to the Health Ministry of Hamas, which governs the tiny Palestinian territory.

The Israeli army announced on Tuesday morning that Israeli forces had taken control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, which borders Egypt in southern Gaza, Reuters reports.

The Israeli military operation on Rafah began on Monday when Israel carried out airstrikes in the east of the city. Before the attack, he issued evacuation orders for 100,000 Palestinians from one part of the city, triggering an exodus of thousands.

The Israeli military announced late Monday that it was carrying out targeted strikes against Hamas in Rafah, where 1.4 million Palestinian civilians are sheltering.

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