MNN (Web-Desk); Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to unveil a plan for the full occupation of the Gaza Strip, according to multiple Israeli media outlets including i24NEWS, The Jerusalem Post, Channel 12, and Ynet.
The move would involve expanding Israeli military operations across all areas of Gaza, including regions where hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas. Channel 12’s chief political analyst, Amit Sega, cited a senior official in Netanyahu’s office as saying, “The decision has been made.
Hamas will not release more hostages without total surrender, and we will not surrender. If we don’t act now, the hostages may die of starvation and Hamas will retain control of Gaza.”
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the reported plan and urged the international community to urgently intervene. It called for immediate action to prevent implementation, whether the plan is serious, a tactic to apply pressure, or a test of international response.
This development comes as Netanyahu prepares to convene his war cabinet on Tuesday to determine the next phase of military action in Gaza, nearly two years into the war. He is under growing international pressure to permit more humanitarian aid into the enclave and to bring an end to the conflict, especially as Palestinian casualties continue to rise from both airstrikes and starvation.
At least 74 Palestinians, including 36 people seeking aid, were killed in Israeli attacks on Monday, according to health officials in Gaza.
Domestically, Netanyahu is also under increasing pressure to secure the release of remaining hostages held by Hamas, following the emergence of video footage showing detainees Rom Braslavski and Evyatar David in a severely weakened state.
Despite the mounting criticism, Netanyahu reaffirmed his war objectives on Monday during a cabinet meeting, stating, “We must continue to stand united in our fight to achieve all our war goals: defeating the enemy, freeing our hostages, and ensuring Gaza can no longer pose a threat to Israel.”
In response, senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan accused the United States and other Western nations of ignoring Israeli war crimes and held Netanyahu’s government fully responsible for the hostages’ fate. He blamed Israel’s refusal to agree to a ceasefire and its continued “war of extermination and starvation” against Palestinians.
According to Gaza health officials, more than 60,930 Palestinians — including at least 18,430 children — have been killed in Gaza since October 2023.
Israeli authorities report that 49 hostages are still held by Hamas, with 27 of them believed to be dead.
