Jerusalem, Jan 10 (EFE).\u2013 Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz Friday directed the military to prepare a comprehensive plan for the total defeat of Hamas in Gaza if ongoing ceasefire talks fail to secure the release of hostages.<\/p>
\u201cIf the hostage deal does not materialize by the time US President (Donald) Trump takes office, there must be a complete defeat of Hamas in Gaza,\u201d Katz said in a statement issued by his office.<\/p>
\u201cWe must not be drawn into a war of attrition that will cost us heavily and not lead to victory and the complete strategic defeat of Hamas and the end of the war in Gaza,\u201d Katz said during a meeting with Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and top military officials.<\/p>
This week, Israeli forces discovered the bodies of two hostages, Yousef and Hamza Ziyadne, a father and son from an unrecognized Bedouin village in the Negev desert, inside a tunnel in Rafah, southern Gaza. They had been kidnapped while working at a kibbutz near the Gaza border.<\/p>
With their discovery, the total number of recovered hostage bodies stands at 40, while 34 of the 96 remaining captives are confirmed dead.<\/p>
Katz underlined that the terms of any potential ceasefire agreement are political decisions for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s government, but the military must be ready to conclude the conflict decisively.<\/p>
Negotiations in Doha have gained momentum, with talks centered on a phased ceasefire plan. The first stage would reportedly see 34 hostages released in exchange for an undisclosed number of Palestinian prisoners.<\/p>
Katz emphasized that no Palestinian entity would be allowed to govern Gaza until “Hamas is completely crushed.”<\/p>
US President-elect Donald Trump, set to take office on Jan. 20, has reiterated his intention to end US involvement in foreign wars.<\/p>
He has also warned Hamas that Gaza would be turned into \u201chell on earth\u201d if hostages were not released before his inauguration. EFE <\/p>
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