Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on August 21, publicly confirmed his authorization for “immediate negotiations” with Hamas aimed at securing the release of all Israeli hostages and achieving a Gaza ceasefire, explicitly stipulating that any agreement must be on “terms acceptable to Israel”. In a video address from the Gaza Division, he affirmed that these diplomatic efforts would proceed in parallel with a widening military operation to capture Gaza City and dismantle Hamas’s control.
Netanyahu stressed that the dual objectives defeating Hamas and freeing the hostages are interlinked, noting that the military campaign had reached a “decision-making stage” with troops already advancing on Gaza City’s outskirts and reinforcement plans underway, including the deployment of approximately 60,000 reservists. Arab and Qatari mediators have been pressing for a ceasefire; Hamas has endorsed a recent proposal entailing a 60-day truce paired with a partial hostage-prisoner exchange, though Israel has yet to respond officially, insisting on the immediate release of all remaining captives before any cessation of hostilities.
On the ground, protests have surged both in Gaza, against forced relocations and violence —and in Israel, where families of hostages demand a ceasefire and safe returns under pressure from media and public opinion.
