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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday vowed to increase military pressure on Hamas. He said the tactic would pave the way for Israel to take control of Gaza and implement “the Trump plan" to evict Palestinians from the enclave.
Mr Netanyahu's remarks, along with the move to appoint an official to lead a newly created body aimed at advancing the “voluntary” displacement of Gazans, suggest his government is pursuing Mr Trump's proposals for the enclave.
Mr Trump has previously said that the US take over the coastal enclave and turn it into a Mediterranean resort, while moving Gazans to other countries.
Arab states, including key US allies in the region, objected strongly to Mr Trump's proposal and gave their support to an alternative plan drawn up by Egypt that would rebuild Gaza within five years, without displacing its population of 2.3 million. The US President first mentioned the idea during Mr Netanyahu's visit to Washington in February, but insisted this month that “nobody is expelling any Palestinians”.
Mr Netanyahu's claims of success in the strategy of forcing Hamas to negotiate a ceasefire while under attack has faced domestic criticism. Opponents say his government is not constructively engaged in talks to end the Gaza war and secure the release of the remaining Israeli hostages.
Hamas announced late on Saturday that it had agreed to a ceasefire proposal from mediators in Egypt and Qatar. Israel said it made a counter-offer in co-ordination with the US.
Sources told The National that Egyptian negotiators were proposing a 50-day humanitarian truce, with Hamas releasing at least five hostages, including a dual US-Israel citizen, before the end of the first seven days.
Mr Netanyahu emphasised that “military pressure is working” and “creating the conditions for releasing our hostages”, despite major domestic opposition to the strategy. Anti-government protests, some comprising tens of thousands of people, continue in Israel to call for the release of the hostages.
Mr Netanyahu’s words fuel fears that a deal to stop the fighting in Gaza is far off, despite the humanitarian consequences of renewed Israeli attacks on the enclave. Israel has renewed its military operations in Gaza on March 18, shattering a ceasefire that took effect in January.
Mr Netanyahu said Israel was continuing to negotiate with Hamas “under fire” and that “suddenly we see that there are cracks”.
He added that Israel was open to discussing the final stages of January’s truce deal, which are supposed to lead to a permanent ceasefire and the reconstruction of Gaza, despite facing accusations that he is sabotaging the agreement. Mr Netanyahu said Israel would only agree to a ceasefire that forces Hamas to disarm, with its leaders to leave the enclave, and that facilitates “the Trump plan for voluntary migration" of Palestinians, conditions widely considered to be unacceptable to Hamas.
Apparently responding to growing domestic anger, Mr Netanyahu said the “claim that we do not care [about hostages] echoes Hamas propaganda”.
“As of today, the combination of military and diplomatic pressure is the only thing that has returned the hostages, and not any of the empty claims and slogans that I hear in the studios from the self-professed experts,” he added.
On Saturday, Hamas released footage showing an Israeli hostage in Gaza calling for the government to secure his release. It was the second such video posted on social media by the group within days.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum identified the captive in the video as Elkana Bohbot, who was abducted from the site of a music festival in southern Israel during the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, that sparked the war.
In the video, Mr Bohbot said Israel's bombardment of Gaza could cost him his life and pleaded to be reunited with his wife and son.
On Saturday evening, thousands of Israelis held a protest in Tel Aviv to demand that the government agree to a ceasefire deal. Rare demonstrations have also taken place in northern Gaza in the past days, with residents chanting anti-Hamas slogans and demanding an end to the conflict.
Mr Netayahu said “the Lebanese state is responsible for what emanates from its territory”, after Israel launched the most serious attacks in months against the country. He also thanked the US for “very forcefully” dealing with the Houthis in Yemen, who have fired projectiles at Israel in recent days.
