At least five hostages could be freed from Hamas’ clutches under new cease-fire negotiations, which come as tens of thousands of protestors flooded Israeli streets demanding their return.

The Israeli military will expand its ground operation in Gaza to occupy 25% of the enclave over the next two to three weeks, a senior Israeli official said in a briefing with reporters on Monday. Why it matters: The Israeli official said the ground operation is part of a "maximum pressure" campaign aimed at forcing Hamas to agree to release more hostages.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the pressure on Gaza would increase until the remaining hostages were returned to Israel. “The more they do not give (back the hostages), the more the pressure will increase until they do,” vowed the Israeli Prime Minster in a video statement released on Wednesday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s military is “switching gears” in Gaza, dividing and seizing more parts of the strip, a move experts say could mean Israel establishing deeper, more long-term control over the territory.

Israel has unleashed more bloody attacks on Gaza , warning its offensive will expand into large areas of the Strip in a bid to wipe out diehard Hamas fighters - amid fears for locals and hostages

Israel resumed its military offensive in Gaza in March, blaming Hamas for rejecting a new US proposal to extend the ceasefire and free the remaining hostages. Since then, the Israeli military has launched waves of airstrikes on the besieged territory,

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had seized a corridor of land that would split one of Gaza’s largest cities from the rest of the enclave.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the IDF to seize more territory in Gaza in retaliation to Hamas' refusal to release living and deceased hostages.