Gaza Herald- Israel’s defense minister has approved a military plan to seize Gaza City and authorized the mobilization of about 60,000 reservists to execute it, his ministry confirmed on Wednesday, August 20. Defense Minister Israel Katz’s decision, confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson, escalates pressure on Hamas at a time when mediators are waiting for Israel’s official response to the latest ceasefire proposal in the nearly two-year war in Gaza.
Qatar, serving as a mediator, voiced cautious optimism about the proposal, while a senior Israeli official insisted that any deal must include the release of all hostages. The framework accepted by Hamas calls for a 60-day truce, a phased release of hostages, the freeing of Palestinian prisoners, and permission for humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza.
Throughout the war, Israel and Hamas have engaged in indirect talks that produced two brief truces, during which Israeli captives were exchanged for Palestinian detainees. The new ceasefire proposal surfaced just as Israel’s security cabinet moved ahead with plans to conquer Gaza City, despite warnings it would intensify the already catastrophic humanitarian crisis.
Mediators Say Israel Must Decide
Qatar and Egypt, with U.S. backing, have led multiple rounds of shuttle diplomacy. Qatar described the current proposal as “almost identical” to one Israel had previously accepted, while Egypt stressed earlier this week that “the ball is now in Israel’s court.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to publicly weigh in on the plan, though he said last week that Israel would only agree to terms that ensured all hostages were freed at once and under conditions set by his government. Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi countered on social media that the group had “opened the door wide to the possibility of reaching an agreement, but the question is whether Netanyahu will shut it once again, as he has before.”
Mounting Pressure on Netanyahu
The truce discussions come as Netanyahu faces rising pressure domestically and internationally. Meanwhile, in Gaza, the civil defense agency reported that Israeli strikes killed 48 people across the territory on Tuesday. Spokesperson Mahmud Bassal described the situation as “very dangerous and unbearable,” particularly in Gaza City’s Zeitoun and Sabra neighborhoods, where shelling was continuing.
