Israel not to halt offensive in Gaza while ‘working toward’ hostage deal: Defence minister

Jerusalem: Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has said that Israel is “working toward” a hostage deal and will not halt its offensive in Gaza in the meantime.

“There is a chance that this time we will truly be able to advance a hostage deal,” Katz said on Wednesday during a tour in the Tel Nof Airbase in central Israel, without providing further details on the deal.

Israel will not halt its offensive in Gaza “until we bring back all the hostages and achieve our goals,” he said, adding that “in the future, Hamas cannot rule Gaza. This is absolutely clear”.

Official talks between Israel and Hamas are currently stalled, with Qatar, one of the main mediators, accusing both sides of lacking good faith, Xinhua news agency reported.

Israel has been conducting a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on October 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage.

Gaza’s health authorities reported on Wednesday that at least 44,532 people have been killed in more than 13 months of Israeli attacks.

IANS