Israeli Defense Chiefs doubt Hamas surrender after Gaza City takeover
Israeli Defence Chiefs have raised serious doubts about surrender of Hamas and other Palestinian Resistance Fighters after Gaza City takeover
[Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs security cabinet meeting (File Image)]
Tel Aviv: Israeli Defence Chiefs have raised serious doubts about surrender of Hamas and other Palestinian Resistance Fighters after Gaza City takeover.
“A Wild Gamble”
In a stern warning, the Defence Chiefs said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be risking the lives of the hostages if he goes ahead with his Gaza City capture plan instead of accepting the Hamas Ceasefire proposal.
“There is a deal on the table that Israel fought for. We must grasp the opportunity to bring hostages back alive and to use the ceasefire to reach an end to the fighting,” a senior security source told Channel 12 as reported by The Times of Israel.
“Any other decision, based on the thought that Hamas will surrender if we enter Gaza [City], is a wild gamble on the lives of hostages and soldiers", the official added.
The reports further said that the Israeli Defense Chiefs, who included DF chief Eyal Zamir, Mossad Director David Barnea and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, are set to present an all-but united front to the security cabinet Sunday August 31, 2025, beseeching ministers to accept the current proposal for a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza over the government’s desired offensive in Gaza City.
Clashes in Gaza City
Abu Obeida, spokesperson for Hamas’s military wing Al Qassam Brigades, had on Thursday warned that Israel’s plans to occupy Gaza City would increase the chances of the group capturing Israeli soldiers, and that any Israeli military operation would put the lives of remaining hostages in danger.
A day after this, repors said several Israeli soldiers were injured in an explosion targeting an armoured vehicle in Gaza City on Friday night.
The soldiers were wounded while operating in the Zeitoun neighbourhood, which has been the site of intense Israeli military activity in recent weeks, the Israel Defense Forces said on Saturday.
There are also reports that at least 4 Israeli soldiers have been captured by the Resistance Forces. Israel has denied these reports.
Gaza Ceasefire Proposal
Hamas has agreed for a 60-day ceasefire as per which it will release 10 hostages along with the bodies of 18 slain captives in 5 batches. During this period, the two sides will hold talks on the terms of the release of the remaining hostages and a permanent end to the war.
The proposal approved by Hamas on August 18, 2025 and submitted to Netanyahu by Arab mediators is nearly identical to one crafted by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff which was earlier approved by Israel last month.
Netanyahu is refusing a response on the proposal saying he is not interested in a ceasefire proposal which involves phased release of hostages. He said he wants the release of hostages all at once.
Netanyahu is also non-committal on the permanent ceasefire and complete withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from Gaza - key demands of Palestinian Resistance Fighters.
Gaza: Latest Update
As per the latest reports coming from Gaza, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IDF) have intensified their bombardment on Gaza City.
The latest round of Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City has left 44 Palestinians, including aid seekers, dead across Gaza since dawn.
The Red Cross chief has also denounced Israel’s plans for a forced mass expulsion of Gaza City before a military takeover, insisting there was no way it could be done safely, according to Al Jazeera.
“It is impossible that a mass evacuation of Gaza City could ever be done in a way that is safe and dignified under the current conditions,” International Committee of the Red Cross President Mirjana Spoljaric Egger said, describing the evacuation plan as “not only unfeasible but incomprehensible”.
Meanwhile, the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees warned that the Israeli operation in Gaza City could re-displace one million people. Israel has killed at least 63,371 people and wounded 159,835 in its war on Gaza.
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