Israeli Army Issues Statement

The Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Eyal Zamir, has stated that they agree to sign a deal for the release of Israeli hostages held by the Palestinian group Hamas. This was reported by The Wall Street Journal, citing a source.

According to him, the continuation of military operations in the Gaza Strip poses a threat to the lives of Israeli hostages. "At this moment, it is not appropriate to weaken Hamas further through military means," said the Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces.

It is worth noting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to insist that Hamas must be removed from power by all means and fully disarmed.

Recall that the Israeli army resumed combat operations in the Gaza Strip, violating the ceasefire established in January of this year. During multi-stage negotiations mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, the parties were unable to reach an agreement on the terms of a new accord. Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Israel agreed to a 60-day ceasefire. Hamas responded positively to the proposed plan, but the round of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas came to an end on July 6 without results.