“Control of northern Gaza is the first step in a long war and we are preparing for the next phase,” he said. The Prime Minister’s Office said Israel had received a preliminary list of hostages to be freed and was in contact with the families.
Israel launched a devastating offensive on Gaza on October 7 after Hamas gunmen breached the border fence, killing 1,200 people and capturing about 240 hostages, according to Israeli data.
Since then, Israel has bombed the small area, killing about 14,000 Gazans, about 40% of whom were children, according to Palestinian health officials.
“People are tired and losing hope in humanity,” Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, said after a visit to Gaza on Thursday, referring to the “unspeakable suffering” in the enclave.
“They need relief, they need to sleep without worrying about whether or not they’ll be able to make it through the night. This is the minimum amount anyone should get.”