Netanyahu Open to Temporary Truce for Hostage Release, Reaffirms Plan to Control Gaza

Under growing international pressure, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Wednesday, May 21, that Israel may agree to a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, provided it facilitates the release of hostages still held by Hamas. Speaking at a press conference in Jerusalem, Netanyahu stated that 20 of the 58 identified hostages are “confirmed to be alive,” according to Israeli intelligence. The most recently released hostage, Edan Alexander, regained his freedom on May 12.

This proposed truce would follow a previous one, between January and March, during which 33 Israeli hostages—eight of them deceased—were freed in exchange for roughly 1,800 Palestinian prisoners.

Tactical Pause Without Abandoning Military Goals

Netanyahu, however, remains firm on his broader military objective: “Israel will control the entire Gaza Strip by the end of this war,” he declared, reiterating a plan to retake full control of the territory and relocate much of its population to the far south of the enclave.

Amid an ongoing near-total blockade lasting over two months, the Israeli leader acknowledged the need to “avoid a humanitarian crisis” in order to maintain the Israeli military’s “freedom of operational action.” On the same day, the Israeli army announced large-scale airstrikes across Gaza, citing a dual goal: defeating Hamas and securing the hostages’ release.

Escalation in the West Bank and Diplomatic Tensions

In parallel, Netanyahu praised military operations in the West Bank refugee camps of Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur Shams, claiming armed Palestinian groups had been “neutralized.” These remarks come as Israel faces mounting criticism over its humanitarian restrictions, including from its Western allies.

Netanyahu made no comment regarding Israeli warning shots fired at a group of European diplomats visiting the West Bank city of Jenin earlier that day—an incident strongly condemned by the EU, UN, and several European countries.