Even if hostages are released: Netanyahu wants to go to the end in the Gaza Strip

Negotiations on a new ceasefire in the Gaza war are underway in Qatar. Israel's prime minister emphasizes that they will be conducted "under fire," and he is sticking to plans for the resettlement of Palestinians. The UN emergency relief chief warns of "genocide."

The civilian population in the Gaza Strip must prepare for a new large-scale Israeli offensive to crush the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the operation would begin "in the coming days." The goal is to completely defeat Hamas and free the remaining hostages it holds. UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher sharply criticized Israel's handling of the sealed-off coastal territory and warned of "genocide."

A new military offensive is likely to further worsen the plight of the people in the densely populated Gaza Strip, which has suffered extensive devastation after more than a year and a half of war. Fletcher warned that 2.1 million Palestinians are already threatened with starvation due to withheld humanitarian aid. "Israel is knowingly and shamelessly creating inhumane conditions for the civilian population in the occupied Palestinian territories," he told the UN Security Council at a meeting in New York.

"What more evidence do you need now?" Fletcher asked the UN's most powerful body. "Will you act decisively to prevent genocide and ensure compliance with international humanitarian law? Or will you instead say, 'We've done everything we could'?"

French President Emmanuel Macron also voiced strong criticism. "What Benjamin Netanyahu's government is currently doing is unacceptable," he said on the TF1 broadcaster. Humanitarian aid from France and other countries for the people in Gaza is being blocked by Israel. The humanitarian crisis is devastating, with no water or medicine. Macron called it a disgrace.

According to a spokeswoman, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also emphasized the urgency of "reestablishing access to humanitarian aid for the population in Gaza" at a meeting with Netanyahu in Jerusalem. Israel has banned shipments into the sealed-off coastal strip since the beginning of March to prevent the goods from falling into Hamas's hands.

War should only end when Hamas is destroyed

At a meeting with wounded reservists, Netanyahu said that the defeat of Hamas and the release of the hostages held in the Gaza Strip were inextricably linked. "In the coming days, we will go in with full force to complete the campaign." Even if Hamas offers to release more hostages, Israel will not end the war, Netanyahu said. A temporary ceasefire is possible, but not a permanent end to the fighting.

The army recently began mobilizing tens of thousands of reservists. According to Israeli media, the plan was to wait until the end of US President Donald Trump's three-day visit to the Gulf region before launching a new offensive. Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday and is expected in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Netanyahu said he expects more than half of the population to leave the Gaza Strip if appropriate exit options were available. Israel is currently working to persuade third countries to accept the refugees. Many Palestinians fear a new wave of flight and expulsion from the Gaza Strip, similar to those experienced during the war that led to the founding of the State of Israel in 1948 and the Six-Day War in 1967.

Negotiations are to resume in Qatar

The indirect talks between Israel and Hamas, brokered by the US, Egypt, and Qatar, stalled several months ago. According to media reports, a team of Israeli negotiators has now landed in Qatar's capital, Doha, for a new round of talks. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's hostage envoy, Adam Boehler, are also expected to participate.

Netanyahu had announced that the negotiations would be conducted "under fire." The Islamist organization rejects Israel's demand for Hamas to disarm. It demands a complete end to the Gaza war as a condition for the release of the remaining hostages.

Meanwhile, the bloodshed in Gaza continues. Overnight, Palestinian sources reported an Israeli airstrike on Jabaliya, which allegedly left dozens of victims. Previously, airstrikes on two hospitals in the southern part of the territory had killed at least 19 people, according to hospital sources. According to the Israeli army, this was a targeted attack on Hamas terrorists – the military has long accused the Islamists of misusing hospitals for terrorist purposes. This cannot be independently verified.

Uncertainty about the head of the Kassam Brigades

Particular attention was paid to an alleged attack on Mohammed al-Sinwar, the younger brother of Hamas leader Jihia al-Sinwar, who was killed in October 2024. It is still unclear whether he was among those killed in the attack on the European Hospital in Khan Yunis. Following the killing of Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif by the Israeli military in July of last year, Mohammed al-Sinwar took over leadership of Hamas' armed wing, the Qassam Brigades.

If he were dead, it could make it easier to reach an agreement on a ceasefire and a deal to release the hostages, an Israeli government official told the Jerusalem Post. Al-Sinwar was the most extreme player on Hamas's negotiating stance. "If he's no longer involved, that should be beneficial to efforts to reach an agreement."

The Israeli attack on Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis on Tuesday night was also targeted by Hamas terrorists, according to the military. According to Palestinian sources, three people were killed. The Palestinian news agency Wafa described it as a "targeted attack" on Palestinian journalist Hassan Eslaiah, who was being treated for injuries at the hospital.

Eslaiah was seriously injured in an attack near Nasser Hospital last month. At the time, the Israeli army said the Palestinian had participated in the Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023. He had entered Israeli territory and taken photographs of the killings, arson, and looting, which he posted on social media. As a freelance journalist, he provided photos to the world's largest news agency, the Associated Press, among others.

Rocket attacks on Israel

For the first time in a long time, rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory. According to the military, two rockets were intercepted, and a third landed in open terrain. The Israeli army also reportedly intercepted another rocket fired from Yemen. The Islamist Houthi militia, allied with Hamas, said their attack targeted the airport in the coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv.

The attack occurred during German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier's visit to Israel. Steinmeier, his wife Elke Büdenbender, and members of the delegation were taken to the air raid shelter of their hotel. They spent about 15 minutes there. At the time of the attack, the guests from Germany were about to leave for dinner at the residence of Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog, which they then did late.