&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'WON'T BE A PICNIC': Hamas warns Netanyahu over Gaza takeover plan, says 'ready' to release all hostages")
Palestinian militant group Hamas said on Friday (August 8) that it was ready for a comprehensive deal with Israel to release all the hostages in Gaza. This came amid the chaos around Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to take over the Gaza Strip. In an official statement posted on its social media, Hamas said, “We have shown all flexibility through Egyptian and Qatari mediators to make the ceasefire a success. We are ready for a comprehensive deal to release all occupation prisoners in exchange for stopping the war and withdrawing its forces.”
The militant group also said that the plan to occupy Gaza "is an adventure that will cost it a heavy price and will not be a picnic."
"Our people and their resistance are resilient to being broken or surrendered, and Netanyahu's plans and illusions will fail," the group added.
Netanyahu's plan 'won't defeat Hamas or free hostages'
Meanwhile, the former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that expanding military action in Gaza will not defeat Hamas or free the hostages. "To assume that now we are going to reach out for what remained of Hamas and rescue the hostages is a fantasy. It will not happen," Olmert said during an interview with The Associated Press. Not only him, but Netanyahu's plan to fully occupy the Gaza Strip has drawn massive outrage from several countries as well, including Saudi Arabia and the UK.
What's in the plan?
Trending Stories
)
'Brought America to its knees': Indian pandit's anti-US speech goes viral as he attends Khamenei's funeral in Iran
)
Satellite images show Iran may be rebuilding nuclear and missile sites damaged in US-Israeli strikes: Report
)
FIFA World Cup 2026: Who is Francois Letexier, referee behind the Argentina-Egypt controversy?
)
'Iran will no longer be bound': Tehran warns US over alleged MoU violations
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why Russian fighter jets show visible body rivets compared to US jets
)
₹2,000: The last of the pink notes face quiet exit as RBI confirms 98.5% of currency returned
)
Ikka movie review: Sunny Deol, Akshaye Khanna's film lacks real legal spark, delivers drama instead
)
‘Bomb them like never seen before’: Trump says he’s left orders to strike Iran if he is assassinated
)
Argentina FA investigates suspected cyberattack after controversial FIFA World Cup win against Egypt
)
Man sucked out of plane window up to shoulders at 20,000ft. Seatbelt and his wife saved him
)
Who is Jackson Hinkle? The American who chanted 'Down with USA' at Khamenei's funeral
)
UK tells female soldiers to double their diet and sleep more to match male soldiers
)
Build Chennai airport at approved Parandur site or find alternative: BJP to TVK Govt
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the F-22's nose cone is a different shade of grey
)
Watch: Over 900 snakes slither through China floodwaters; Typhoon Maysak unleashes venomous cobras - one bitten
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (July 10, 2026): Ikka, Pati Patni Aur Woh Do, Balti- Watch these 5 movies and TV shows on Netflix, SonyLiv, ZEE5 and more
)
Viral pic! Shubman Gill's Wimbledon Royal Box appearance with Sachin Tendulkar takes internet by storm
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Can Russia's S-400 Or China's missiles actually shoot down a B-52? Here is how the old bomber stays alive
)
‘Unlike anything I had seen in 28 years’: Pentagon releases fourth tranche of UFO files
)
Wimbledon 2026: Jannik Sinner ends Novak Djokovic's dream as Alexander Zverev enters first final
)
Man claims he travelled to year 3700. Robots had killed 30% of humans. Here is what else he says he saw
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Charlie Kirk Assassination: Who is Tyler Robinson’s ‘partner’ Lance Twiggs? How big is his role in the case?
)
Revenge, warnings and Hormuz talks: Iran sends defiant message after Khamenei's death
)
Medical student from Kerala killed in Uzbekistan; family alleges forced conversion bid
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why Russian fighter jets space engines far apart compared to US jets
)
Physicist creates 'mini-universe' in lab and proves time is an illusion
)
Trump imposes fresh sanctions on Iran after Hormuz ship attacks
)
Afghanistan seeks Indian seeds and technology to boost farming and food security
)
Iran denies seeking US talks as former FM alleges Washington's 'deception' campaign
)
World's first once-a-week insulin launched in India: Here's how much it costs
)
Russia in talks with Turkey over resale of S-400 system to unlock US F-35 jets
)
Rajesh Sharma health update: Family friend Sudipa Chatterjee says, ‘He’s a little better now'
)
Afghanistan’s top diplomat in Delhi seeks India’s help in water management, agriculture modernisation
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why Russian fighter jets keep mechanical clocks compared to US jets
)
Paraguay Senator calls Kylian Mbappe 'son of a b****' in explosive Senate speech as World Cup row escalates. What's happening
As per a report by Channel 12, in the first phase of the plan, the Netanyahu government will issue an evacuation notice to 1 million residents of Gaza City - almost 50 per cent of the entire Palestinian population. This will, as per Netanyahu, give some time for his officials to establish civilian infrastructure like hospitals and camps in the Gaza Strip for evacuees. This process is said to last for several weeks.
In the second phase of the plan, the Israeli military will launch an offensive in the region. At that time, US President Donald Trump would give a speech in which he would announce the acceleration of humanitarian aid in coordination with Israel, the Channel 12 report said.
Meanwhile, the US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told Bloomberg News on Wednesday (August 6) that there was an effort to add 12 aid sites to the already existing four, operated by the Israel- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
Huckabee said, "A quadrupling over two months, if possible. It’s all about funding." He added, “I think there’s still some question about areas of the north that may depend on whether the IDF can clear those areas and make it safe.”
The US, along with other countries, would fund this expansion by donating around $1 billion to Israel. In addition, the plan also said that the civilian population of the strip is expected to be further pushed toward the southern Strip, while manoeuvres take place in areas where hostages are believed to be held, with efforts toward avoiding any harm to them.
