Israel to approve Gaza City seizure plan despite ceasefire talks

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said he had instructed officials to begin "immediate negotiations" for the release of hostages in Gaza and an end to the war, while also vowing to approve military plans to seize Gaza City.

"I came to approve the IDF's (Israel Defense Forces) plans to take control of Gaza City and to defeat Hamas," Netanyahu said during a visit to a military base near the Palestinian enclave.

"At the same time, I instructed to begin immediate negotiations for the release of all our hostages and an end to the war on terms acceptable to Israel," he said.

Netanyahu did not say how or where the negotiations would begin. Israel's Ynet news site, citing a senior official, reported that no delegation is expected to depart for Doha or Cairo at this stage.

An Israeli official told Xinhua that Netanyahu and his security cabinet were expected to convene on Thursday night to give final approval for the assault on the enclave's largest city,

The announcement came a day after the military mobilized 60,000 reservists and said 20,000 more would be called up in the coming days.

Earlier this week, Hamas agreed to a proposal put forward by Egyptian and Qatari mediators for a temporary truce and the release of hostages. Israel has not yet publicly issued an official response.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu also said earlier this week that Israel would agree to end the offensive only if five conditions were met: Hamas's disarmament, the release of hostages, Gaza's demilitarization, Israeli security control over the enclave, and the appointment of a non-Israeli body to run daily life there which, he stressed, would not be Hamas or the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority.

Humanitarian disaster 

On Thursday, Israeli forces continued bombardments of Gaza City and carried out strikes elsewhere, killing at least 45 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health authorities. The death toll from Israeli strikes and shootings since October 7, 2023, has risen to 62,192, with 157,114 others wounded, the authorities said.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Thursday that the relentless bombardment is having devastating consequences for civilians. It added that their partners had reported high numbers of civilian casualties and large-scale destruction caused by intensified Israeli attacks in eastern and southern Gaza City, particularly the Az Zaytoun area.

The office said that its partners monitoring the movement of people in Gaza estimated that more than 16,800 civilians were newly displaced across the strip between August 12 and 20, bringing the total number of the displaced since the end of the ceasefire in mid-March to more than 796,000.

It said that Gaza City accounted for 95 percent of the reported displacement, with people fleeing eastern parts of the city – primarily moving south and west.

Meanwhile, hunger and malnutrition among children are deepening. The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Wednesday that July was Gaza's deadliest month for child malnutrition deaths, with 24 children under the age of five reportedly dying. This was already 85 percent of the total for this year.

UNICEF warned that all 320,000 children under five are at risk of acute malnutrition, increasing illness and long-term health risks.

Israel keeps expanding settlements in West Bank

Aside from continued bombardments of Gaza City, Israel has also approved a controversial settlement project in the occupied West Bank, which has drawn fierce criticism from the international community.

An Israeli Defense Ministry committee approved plans for 3,400 homes in the E1 area on Wednesday. Construction in the E1 area has been frozen for two decades amid fierce international opposition. Critics warn it would put an end to hopes for a viable, contiguous Palestinian state.

Britain, together with 22 partners, on Thursday condemned the decision, according to a joint statement issued by the British government. The statement said that the decision by Israel is "unacceptable and a violation of international law. We condemn this decision and call for its immediate reversal in the strongest terms."

"This brings no benefits to the Israeli people. Instead, it risks undermining security and fuels further violence and instability, taking us further away from peace," it said.

"Unilateral action by the Israeli government undermines our collective desire for security and prosperity in the Middle East. The Israeli government must stop settlement construction in line with UNSC Resolution 2334 and remove their restrictions on the finances of the Palestinian Authority," it added.

The joint statement was signed by foreign ministers of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Britain, as well as the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy.

Meanwhile, the ambassador of Israel to Britain was summoned on Thursday to Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, according to a separate statement.

(With input from Xinhua)