JERUSALEM, Israel – An Israeli team heads to Qatar today for more talks on a hostage deal as intense fighting continues in Gaza and along the northern border. Hezbollah has kept up its rocket attacks and suicide drones against northern Israel and Israel is striking back.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant says Israel is planning to ramp up its firepower in the north, regardless of the situation in Gaza.
“We will continue the fire and we will do so independently from the south, until we achieve our goals,” he stated. “The goal is simple: to withdraw Hezbollah to where it should be, either via a [diplomatic] agreement, or we will do it by force.”
The U.S. says an outline is in place for a new hostage deal. It reportedly includes releasing 30-40 Israelis in exchange for a six-week pause in fighting and the release of a few hundred Palestinian prisoners in a first phase.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered that if Hamas will back down from its “delusional claims,” there would be progress toward a hostage deal. “Hamas started out with just crazy demands,” he insisted. “It’s too soon to say if they’ve abandoned them. If they come down to a reasonable situation, then
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