Israel has rejected a proposal from Hamas to end the nearly 23-month-long conflict in exchange for the release of all remaining Israeli prisoners of war, as the Israeli military intensifies its assault on Gaza City.
On Wednesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz dismissed the offer, accusing Hamas of stalling and posturing. “Hamas continues to deceive and utter empty words, but it will soon understand that it must choose between two options: accepting Israel’s conditions for ending the war—primarily the release of all hostages and disarmament—or Gaza City becoming like Rafah and Beit Hanoun,” Katz warned, referencing the widespread destruction that befell those cities during earlier stages of the conflict.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office echoed Katz’s remarks, describing the Hamas statement as “more spin” and insisting it offered “nothing new.” Hamas had proposed a deal that would end hostilities, ensure a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, open border crossings for humanitarian aid, and initiate reconstruction efforts, in exchange for releasing all remaining prisoners of war.
The rejection comes as Israel launches a new phase in its campaign to capture Gaza City. On Wednesday, Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir announced, “We have entered the second stage of Operation ‘Gideon’s Chariots’ in order to achieve the objectives of the war,” referring to the assault on the city following Israeli forces’ entry into its outskirts last month.
Israel has already mobilized 60,000 reservists for the operation, with another 20,000 expected to be called up in the coming weeks. However, reports from Israeli outlets indicate that turnout among reservists is lower than in previous mobilizations. According to The Times of Israel, some units have seen turnout rates of only 50–60%, compared to the typical 75–90%. The public broadcaster Kan cited an unnamed reservist who described companies and platoons as “less full,” with senior officers reportedly noting smaller unit sizes.