An aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the Israeli government has given Hamas in Gaza until mid-September to agree to a deal that includes the return of hostages and the dismantling of its government.

Bloomberg quoted Netanyahu’s aide as confirming: “If Hamas does not agree, we will have completed the military preparations to launch an operation in Gaza City.”

Meanwhile, the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom quoted an Israeli source as saying that “the deal Tel Aviv is willing to discuss includes the return of all captives and an end to the war.”