Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited and addressed the soldiers of the Gaza Division today (Thursday), and stated that he approved the plans to conquer Gaza City and negotiations on the return of all of the hostages.
"We are at the stage of decision-making. I came today to the Gaza Division to approve the plans the IDF presented to me and to the Minister of Defense to take control of Gaza City and defeat Hamas," Netanyahu stated.
He continued: "I deeply appreciate the mobilization of the reserve soldiers, as well as the standing army, for this vital objective."
"At the same time, I instructed to start immediate negotiations for the release of all our hostages and to end the war on terms that are acceptable to Israel," he added.
"These two things - defeating Hamas and securing the release of all our hostages - go hand in hand," Netanyahu concluded.