A senior Israeli official warns: "if Hamas does not show flexibility, military operations will escalate and intensify".

Against the backdrop of gradually renewed fighting and the resumption of hostilities in Gaza overnight, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to convene an urgent security consultation within the next 24 hours. The meeting will take place at the Hostage Command Center, headed by Major General (Res.) Nitzan Alon, with a specific focus on determining military actions that do not endanger the lives of hostages.

This meeting does not stem from progress in negotiations for a hostage deal, but rather from an Israeli effort to map out and assess locations in Gaza that can be targeted without risking hostages' lives.

"There Is Always an Unknown Factor" – No Absolute Certainty

Security officials stress that all airstrikes conducted so far have been directed at areas known not to contain hostages. However, in preliminary discussions, a warning was issued to the political leadership: there is no absolute certainty, and the possibility of hostages being harmed must be considered.

The political leadership has decided to continue the strikes in various areas of Gaza unless Hamas signals a willingness to release hostages. Israeli officials have conveyed this stance to mediators, emphasizing that verbal signals are insufficient and that only a concrete, verified commitment to releasing hostages will halt the strikes.

Wave of Airstrikes Across Gaza

Public statements have referred to the "Witkoff Plan", which includes the release of 10 living hostages and 11 bodies. Israel has even negotiated for fewer releases in the past, but now, only a definitive agreement for hostage release will pause military actions.

Senior Israeli officials stated last night that if Hamas does not demonstrate the required flexibility in the coming days, military action will intensify, and the current "limited operation" will expand and escalate.

Netanyahu: "From Now On, Negotiations Will Take Place Only Under Fire"

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a statement last night regarding the renewed fighting in Gaza.

"For weeks, we have been tirelessly pursuing a single objective: to exhaust every possible effort to bring our hostages home," Netanyahu said. "We extended the ceasefire for weeks, even when no hostages were released. We sent delegations to Doha, delegations to Cairo, we put forward proposals with mediators, and we accepted the American envoy Witkoff’s proposal. In contrast, Hamas repeatedly rejected every offer."

Netanyahu reiterated his previous commitments:

"I have promised you many times—if Hamas refuses to release our hostages, we will return to war. And indeed, we have resumed fighting, and we have done so with force."

He emphasized that from now on, Israel will act against Hamas with increasing intensity, and that negotiations will take place only under fire.

"Hamas has already felt the weight of our response in the past 24 hours," he warned. "And I want to assure both you and them—this is just the beginning."

"We will continue fighting until we achieve all of our war objectives—the release of all our hostages, the destruction of Hamas, and ensuring that Gaza will never again pose a threat to Israel."

Addressing the families of the hostages, Netanyahu stated: "Our commitment, and that of our security forces, is to work tirelessly for the release of your loved ones—both the living and the fallen."