Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has disclosed that Israel intends to take control of the entire Gaza Strip, but does not want to govern it.
This came in an interview shortly before a security cabinet meeting. Israel’s security cabinet is set to decide on a full reoccupation of Gaza, a move that would mark a major escalation of the ongoing conflict in the territory.
Despite international pressure, opposition from the Israeli military and domestic fears that the operation will endanger hostages, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pushed for a complete takeover of the besieged enclave.
“We intend to [take over] in order to ensure our security, remove Hamas [from] there … and to pass it to civilian governance that is not Hamas and not anyone advocating the destruction of Israel.
“We don’t want to keep it. We want to have a security perimeter. We don’t want to govern it. We don’t want to be there as a governing body.”
Benjamin Netanyahu
According to an Israeli official with knowledge of the proposal, the phased plan under consideration would require up to five months, during which approximately a million Palestinians in Gaza City and other areas would once again be forced into evacuation areas in southern Gaza.
The military would establish compounds to house the massive influx of displaced Palestinians. The official added that as part of the plan, Israel and the US would increase the number of aid distribution sites operated by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) from the current four up to 16 sites.
The official also noted that the operation, which is intended to increase pressure on Hamas and free the remaining Israeli captives, could be paused if the militant group returns to negotiations.
The last round of talks, which began with marked optimism, collapsed two weeks ago after the US and Israel pulled their delegations from Qatar, with US Envoy Steve Witkoff accusing Hamas of negotiating “in bad faith.” Hamas said it is ready to return to the negotiating table, but only once enough humanitarian aid enters Gaza.
The Israeli military says it already controls about 75% of Gaza following 22 months of war, which has left much of the territory in ruins and triggered a humanitarian crisis.
The expanded operation would see Israel encircle and potentially enter the few remaining areas in Gaza that are outside its direct control in an effort to destroy Hamas. Such a scenario would leave Israel legally responsible for the welfare of Palestinians in Gaza, which is facing a starvation crisis.
Gaza Takeover To Put Remaining Hostages At Risk
However, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, warned in a meeting with Netanyahu on Tuesday evening that a full takeover of Gaza would trap the military within the enclave and put the remaining hostages at risk.
Today, Zamir made a rare public acknowledgement of the disagreements between Israel’s military and its political leadership.
“The culture of debate is an inseparable part of the history of the Jewish people. We will continue to express our position without fear – in a professional, independent, and substantive manner.”
Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir
Polls have repeatedly shown that the majority of Israelis favor an end to the war in exchange for the release of the remaining 50 hostages in Gaza.
Families of the hostages remaining in Gaza blasted the government’s plan to expand the war. Yehuda Cohen, whose son Nimrod is still held captive in Gaza, said, Netanyahu is “working against the hostages.”
“Netanyahu is working for murdering the hostages by going and continuing maneuvering in Gaza, especially in areas where hostages are.”
Yehuda Cohen
Meanwhile, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said that it was planning a protest outside the venue of the security cabinet meeting in Jerusalem to express its rejection of a potential expansion of the war.
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