Israel to start talks to free hostages and end Gaza war

Israel will resume negotiations with Hamas for the release of all hostages captured during the October 7 attack, Benjamin Netanyahu has said - but its military will continue its Gaza City offensive despite international outcry.

The remarks from Israel's prime minister are the first since Hamas agreed to a temporary ceasefire proposal. Talks will also be with a view to ending the war, but Mr Netanyahu said it must be on "terms acceptable to Israel".

In the meantime, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have begun calling medics and international organisations in northern Gaza to encourage them to evacuate to the south ahead of the expanded operation in Gaza City. Many of Israel's closest allies have urged the government to reconsider.

Some Israelis fear it could doom the remaining 20 or so living hostages taken by Hamas-led militants in the 7 October 2023 attack which ignited the war. Israel plans to call up 60,000 reservists and extend the service of 20,000 more.

Speaking to soldiers near Israel's border with Gaza, Mr Netanyahu said he was still set on approving plans for defeating Hamas and capturing Gaza City. "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," he said.

"These two things - defeating Hamas and releasing all our hostages - go hand in hand," he added. The latest ceasefire proposal drawn up by Egypt and Qatar is almost identical to an earlier one that Israel accepted before the talks stalled last month.

The proposal would include the release of some hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a pullback of Israeli forces and negotiations over a lasting ceasefire. 'Don't tell us where to build' Israeli strikes killed at least 36 Palestinians across Gaza on Thursday, according to local hospitals, including at a tent camp in Deir al-Balah.

Meanwhile, Israel's ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely, was summoned to the Foreign Office in response to a controversial West Bank settlement plan which has been given final approval. The project, known as the E1 settlement, would effectively cut off the occupied West Bank from East Jerusalem and divide the territory in two.

The UK and 21 international partners have released a statement to condemn the decision "in the strongest terms.