Israel approves resumption of captive talks as it threatens to ‘open gates of hell’ in Gaza City

CAIRO – 22 August 2025: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved the resumption of “immediate” negotiations to secure the release of all captives and end the war “on terms acceptable to Israel.”

Netanyahu made the announcement during a visit Thursday to the Gaza Division headquarters near the Israeli-Gazan border.

Egypt and Qatar have proposed a 60-day ceasefire that includes the release of half of the captives, both living and deceased, still held by Hamas in Gaza.

Under the proposal, which Hamas approved on Monday, 10 living Israeli captives and 18 bodies would be returned to Israel during the ceasefire period. During this time, both parties are expected to negotiate a permanent ceasefire.

Netanyahu neither explicitly rejected the proposal nor clarified the details of the upcoming negotiations.

However, he emphasized that “defeating Hamas and freeing all our captives go hand in hand,” according to the BBC.

His remarks came as the Israeli military announced on Wednesday the launch of a widely condemned operation to seize control of Gaza City, home to around one million people before the operation, and impose full security control over the entire Strip.

“I have come to approve the IDF’s plans to take control of Gaza City and defeat Hamas,” Netanyahu stated.

“At the same time, I have issued instructions to begin immediate negotiations for the release of all our hostages and an end to the war on terms acceptable to Israel,” Netanyahu stated, according to Reuters.

‘Gates of Hell Will Open’

On Friday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz escalated rhetoric, warning that “soon, the gates of hell will open” in Gaza City if Hamas refuses to accept Israel’s conditions for ending the war, chiefly, the release of all captives and Hamas’ disarmament.

“If they do not agree, Gaza, the capital of Hamas, will become Rafah and Beit Hanoun,” Katz said in a social media post, referencing cities that have been devastated by Israeli military operations and largely depopulated.

Gaza Takeover

The Israeli government approved the plan to take over Gaza City and occupy the entire enclave earlier this month. The five-point scheme also includes disarming Hamas and securing the release of all captives.

Moreover, the plan’s objectives include fully demilitarizing Gaza and establishing a new civil administration unaffiliated with either Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.

Palestinians already started fleeing parts of Gaza City after the Israeli army began the operation.

Israel’s intentions to reoccupy Gaza have sparked strong condemnation, even from Israel’s closest Western allies, amidst the worsening humanitarian crisis and looming famine that the enclave is facing.

Gaza’s health ministry reported on Thursday that 271 people, 112 of them children, have died from starvation and malnutrition.

Israel has imposed heavy restrictions on aid deliveries, which amounted to full blockade for nearly three months earlier this year.

Hamas on Wednesday accused the Israeli government of committing a “fully-fledged war crime” by “aiming to destroy Gaza City and displace its residents.”

In a Telegram post, Hamas condemned the move as “an escalation of the genocide and a blatant disregard for the efforts made by mediators.”

The escalation has also raised grave concerns about the worsening humanitarian situation as well as the fate of around 20 living captives still held by Hamas in Gaza.

Hamas has asserted that the Israeli government is "indifferent to the fate of their captives, knowingly risking their lives by expanding the operations."

Famine Unfolding

Meanwhile, the war has displaced most of the population of Gaza and brought the territory to the brink of famine, with dozens of deaths already linked to starvation.

A joint statement released last week by the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), signed by 21 European countries along with Canada, Australia, and Japan, warned that “the humanitarian suffering in Gaza has reached unimaginable levels.”

“Famine is unfolding before our eyes. Urgent action is needed now to halt and reverse starvation,” the statement read.