Tel Aviv, 30 March 2025 (dpa/MIA) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel's attacks on the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip will be intensified.

Only a combination of military and diplomatic pressure could bring back the hostages, Netanyahu said at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem.

Israel and Hamas are currently negotiating a new ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in indirect talks. One sticking point is how many hostages should be released.

"The military pressure is working," said Netanyahu. "On the one hand, it is pounding Hamas's military and governing capabilities, and on the other it is creating the conditions for releasing our hostages."

The Security Cabinet decided on Saturday evening to increase the already high pressure on Hamas, he said. Relatives of the hostages have repeatedly warned that the restart of the war would jeopardize the lives of their loved ones.

Netanyahu sticking to Trump's controversial Gaza plan

Netanyahu confirmed that negotiations on a new ceasefire are under way. If Hamas laid down its weapons, its leaders could leave the Gaza Strip, he said.

"We will ensure general security in the Gaza Strip and enable the implementation of the Trump plan, the plan for voluntary emigration," he added.

US President Donald Trump has proposed resettling 2 million Palestinians from the coastal strip. Trump wants the inhabitants of the war-ravaged area to be accommodated in other Arab states in the region. However, the plan was met with strong opposition from Arab states and internationally.

MIA file photo