Israel's former Defense Minister Gantz left Netanyahu's government in 2024.

Israeli opposition politician Benny Gantz is proposing a joint transitional government to under-pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to secure the release of the hostages in the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu's political survival has so far relied on right-wing extremist coalition partners who strictly reject a ceasefire agreement with the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas.

Relatives of the hostages, along with thousands of demonstrators in the Israeli coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv and other parts of the country, also reiterated their call for a ceasefire and warned that the army's planned takeover of Gaza endangers the lives of the hostages. "There is an agreement on the table," the brother of two of the abductees said, according to media reports. This could be the last chance to save lives.

The hostages' lives are in danger, "their time is running out," Gantz also said. Referring to video footage of hostages emaciated to the bone, the opposition politician recalled his mother, Malka, a survivor of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. "My mother taught me that life is sacred." Israel stands at a crossroads, Gantz said.

The former defense minister left Netanyahu's government in 2024 following disagreements. Now he called on other opposition politicians to join him for six months in a "hostage release government." This must begin with an agreement that brings home all 50 hostages—including 20 alive. New elections must then be held next spring, Gantz said.

The chances of such an alliance, however, are considered extremely slim. "If Netanyahu doesn't agree, then we'll know we've done everything," Gantz said. It was initially unclear how Netanyahu would react to his move. According to media reports, the far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich reportedly told relatives of the hostages that he would resign from the government if Netanyahu agreed to a ceasefire deal with Hamas.

According to the news site "ynet," the security cabinet will meet on Tuesday to finalize the operational plans for capturing Gaza City. It will also discuss the status of indirect negotiations for a hostage release agreement, with the US, Qatar, and Egypt acting as mediators. Hamas announced on Monday that it had approved a new mediated ceasefire proposal.

According to media reports, this is an adapted version of a previously negotiated proposal by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. It calls for a 60-day ceasefire during which ten live hostages would initially be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

Netanyahu has already approved the plan to take over Gaza, but at the same time has promised new negotiations with Hamas. He recently stated that he has ordered "immediate negotiations to begin on the release of all our hostages and the end of the war on terms acceptable to Israel." He did not accept Hamas' offer.

"For 687 days, our children have been held captive in the hell of Gaza," said Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan was kidnapped on October 7, 2023, at the entrance to the military headquarters in Tel Aviv. "I appeal to the people of Israel: Netanyahu can sign a deal today that will return 10 live hostages and 18 bodies," Zangauker said. Should the prime minister do so, he could immediately begin negotiations for the return of the remaining hostages in exchange for an end to the war, she said.

The woman accused the prime minister of deliberately torpedoing an agreement with Hamas: "Instead of agreeing to a deal, he's galloping toward the capture of Gaza." Netanyahu, she said, was condemning the hostages to death and the people of Israel to a perpetual, unnecessary war. "We only have a few days left to stop this," Zangauker said. "If the capture of Gaza begins, there will be no deal. It's now or never."

Israeli soldiers had already advanced into the suburbs of the coastal city. Now, Palestinian eyewitnesses reported that soldiers had also been spotted in the Sabra neighborhood, particularly near a school building. Israeli ground troops had been deployed in the neighborhood several times since the start of the Gaza War almost two years ago. When contacted, the Israeli army stated that it would not comment on the positions of its soldiers.

According to Israeli media reports, the actual offensive is not expected to begin until September at the earliest. Prior to that, the evacuation of the city, which is estimated to be home to around one million people, is planned. Aid organizations warn of a further deterioration of the already catastrophic humanitarian situation in the sealed-off coastal strip, where a total of around two million Palestinians live.

The IPC Initiative, recognized worldwide as an authority on food security, declared a famine in Gaza City and some neighboring towns. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu called the report a "blatant lie." According to Israel, the IPC assessment is based on false information provided by Hamas.