Israel vows to maintain 'permanent presence' in Gaza unless hostages freed

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has warned Hamas that Israel will maintain a permanent presence in parts of Gaza unless the hostages in Gaza are released, CNN reported.

The wobbly ceasefire collapsed on Tuesday when Israel bombarded Gaza, shattering two months of calm that also saw dozens of hostages exchanged for Palestinian prisoners, as per CNN. 

Katz said on Friday that he'd instructed the Israeli military "to seize additional areas in Gaza, while evacuating the population, and to expand the security zones around Gaza in order to protect Israeli communities and IDF soldiers through permanent maintenance of the territory by Israel."

"The more Hamas continues its refusal to release the kidnapped, the more territory it will lose to Israel," he added, CNN reported.

Katz' comments came as Hamas said it was continuing contacts with mediators to try to re-establish the ceasefire that was in effect between January 19 and Tuesday.

Katz said Israel was adhering to the proposal of US President Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff for the release all the hostages, both living and dead, "in advance and in two stages with a ceasefire in between - without endangering Israeli security interests." 

In a statement on Friday, Hamas said that it was continuing to deliberate on a proposal from Steve Witkoff, United States Special Envoy to the Middle East, who has suggested extending the first phase of the ceasefire-hostage deal through early April, as per CNN. It reiterated its demand for a permanent end to the war, saying it was exploring "various ideas on the table in a manner that aims to achieve a prisoner exchange deal that ensures the release of detainees, ends the war, and secures a withdrawal."

The proposal from Witkoff last week would have secured the release of a handful of living hostages held by Hamas in exchange for the extension of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, CNN has reported. Of the 59 hostages still being held in Gaza, fewer than half are still believed to be alive.