Israel: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is preparing to announce plans for a full military occupation of the Gaza Strip, according to multiple Israeli news outlets.
The decision, if confirmed, would mark a significant escalation in Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, now nearing its two-year mark. It would see Israeli forces expand operations across the entire enclave, including areas where Hamas is holding captives.
The reports come ahead of a scheduled war cabinet meeting, during which Netanyahu is expected to discuss the next phase of military operations. His office has not yet commented on the reports. The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the reported plans. It urged the international community to intervene urgently to prevent their implementation, whether they are a form of pressure, trial balloons to gauge international reactions, or genuinely serious.
International calls for a ceasefire and increased humanitarian aid into Gaza continue to intensify, with soaring civilian casualties and worsening conditions. At least 74 Palestinians including 36 people seeking aid were killed in Israeli strikes, according to medical sources in Gaza.
Domestically, Netanyahu is facing growing pressure to secure the release of captives still held by Hamas, especially after recent footage showed detainees Rom Braslavski and Evyatar David appearing severely emaciated. Israeli authorities say 49 captives remain in Gaza, including 27 believed to be dead.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting, Netanyahu reaffirmed his war objectives, stating that, “We must continue to stand together and fight together to achieve all our war objectives, the defeat of the enemy, the release of our hostages, and the assurance that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel.”
Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan responded by accusing the United States and its allies of turning a blind eye to Israel’s actions. He said the Israeli government bears ‘full responsibility’ for the lives of the captives due to its ‘stubbornness, arrogance, and evasion of reaching a ceasefire agreement.’
According to Gaza’s health authorities, more than 60,930 Palestinians, including at least 18,430 children, have been killed since the war began in October 2023.
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