Netanyahu: Complete defeat of Hamas to free hostages

JERUSALEM (AFP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Israel must “complete” the defeat of Hamas in Gaza to secure the release of the remaining hostages, days ahead of a cabinet meeting to discuss an updated war plan.

Recent footage of weak and emaciated captives has sparked outrage in Israel, while United Nations (UN) experts also warn of an unfolding famine for Palestinians in Gaza.

Israeli media have said the premier is considering ordering the total occupation of Gaza, even as international pressure mounts for him to end the war, with a senior UN official warning Tuesday that expanding the fighting risked “catastrophic consequences.”

“It is necessary to complete the defeat of the enemy in Gaza, to free all our hostages and to ensure that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel,” Netanyahu said during a visit to an army training facility.

His office later said he had held a three-hour “security discussion” with army chief Eyal Zamir, but did not disclose any new war plans.

The premier’s office has said the security cabinet will convene later in the week to approve new instructions.

Citing cabinet members, public broadcaster Kan said Netanyahu had “decided to extend the fight to areas where hostages might be held.”

But some major media outlets such as Channel 12 have suggested that the rumored expansion of operations might only be a negotiating tactic.

While the reported plan has not been approved, it has already drawn angry reactions from the Palestinian Authority and Gaza’s Hamas-run government.

Hamas insisted such a move would not shift its position in ceasefire talks, demanding the withdrawal of all forces from Gaza.

“The ball is in the hands of... (Israel) and the Americans,” senior Hamas official Hossam Badran told Agence France-Presse, adding that the militant group wanted to “end the war and the famine.”

UN assistant secretary-general Miroslav Jenca told the Security Council on Tuesday that a widening of the war “would risk catastrophic consequences for millions of Palestinians and could further endanger the lives of the remaining hostages.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar was also in New York attending a Security Council meeting on the plight of the hostages.