Defense Minister Israel Katz participated in the IDF Senior Command Conference in the Gaza Division together with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir. He addressed the negotiations for a hostage deal and ending the war, saying: "The focus on Gaza City stems from it being a military, governmental and symbolic center of gravity." According to him, "We see that Hamas for the first time, after weeks of not being willing to discuss any deal for releasing hostages - suddenly it's on the table."

