Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Hamas is under "atomic" pressure as he visited the IDF’s Gaza Division to meet with senior commanders and discuss plans to capture Gaza City amid reports that Hamas has accepted the latest Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire and hostage-release proposal.
“I want to say three things to the citizens of Israel,” Netanyahu said in a video address. “First, I expressed on your behalf, on behalf of the government and personally, my immense appreciation for the IDF’s tremendous achievements. Second, I was impressed by the fighting spirit and determination to decisively defeat Hamas and free all our hostages. Third, I spoke with the defense minister and chief of staff about our plans regarding Gaza City and completing our missions. I like hear the latest reports and they make one thing clear—Hamas is under atomic pressure.”
Hamas delivered its response Monday to the latest ceasefire and hostage-release proposal coordinated by Egypt and Qatar. Regional outlets reported that the group had accepted the proposal, which includes a 1,000-meter withdrawal in northern and eastern Gaza excluding Shuja’iya and Beit Lahiya, the exchange of ten living hostages for 200 Palestinian prisoners, and immediate humanitarian aid including fuel, water, electricity, hospital and bakery rehabilitation, and debris removal equipment.
The deal reportedly involves the possible exile of senior Hamas leaders abroad, including Izz al-Din al-Haddad, establishing a committee to manage Gaza, and Israeli supervision of weapons storage and management.
The announcement follows a Truth Social warning from U.S. President Donald Trump that Hamas would face destruction if it rejected the deal, while endorsing Netanyahu’s Gaza strategy. Netanyahu met Monday with Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir. Katz is expected to approve the plans Tuesday with a cabinet discussion scheduled Thursday.