Israel Intensifies Gaza Offensive Amid Hostage Standoff, Two-State Solution Declared Over

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has directed the Israel Defense Forces to intensify operations against Hamas in Gaza, vowing to use all means necessary to defeat the group if it does not release hostages, following Hamas's rejection of a U.S. ceasefire proposal. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu blamed Hamas for the failure to reach an agreement and reaffirmed Israel's commitment to defeating the group and securing the hostages. Meanwhile, Hamas announced readiness to release 28 hostages, both living and deceased, contingent on Israeli troop withdrawal and cessation of hostilities, seeking to exchange them for over 1,200 Palestinian prisoners and humanitarian aid during a proposed 60-day truce. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has worsened under a blockade, with the United Nations describing it as the most severe since the war began. Israeli Ambassador to the UK Tzipi Hotovely expressed the deep trauma experienced by Israelis since the Hamas attacks on October 7, emphasizing the challenge of confronting a terror group that disregards the rules of war while acknowledging concerns about Palestinian civilian casualties. In contrast, Jewish peace activists and some academics have condemned Israeli policies as genocidal and morally indefensible, calling for an immediate ceasefire and a just peace that supports both Palestinians and Israelis.