Netanyahu says decision has been made for full occupation of Gaza

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced a decision to fully occupy the Gaza Strip, including the expansion of military operations across the enclave, even in areas where Israeli hostages are believed to be held.

The reports come as Netanyahu is set to convene his war cabinet on Tuesday to discuss the next steps for Israel’s military in Gaza as the war nears the two-year mark.

“We’re committing to free Gaza from the tyranny of these terrorists,” Netanyahu said in a video address posted on the social media platform X.

Netanyahu is facing growing international pressure to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza and halt the war amid mounting Palestinian deaths due to malnutrition and Israeli attacks.

At least 74 Palestinians, including 36 aid seekers, were killed in Israeli attacks on Monday, according to Al Jazeera.

“Many Gazans come to us and they say, ‘Help us be free. Help us be free of Hamas.’ And that’s what we will do,” Netanyahu said.

This decision follows months of stalled ceasefire and hostage negotiations in Qatar. Israeli media outlets, including i24NEWS, Channel 12, Ynet, and The Jerusalem Post, reported that Netanyahu’s war cabinet is expected to approve expanded operations across the entire Gaza Strip.

The Prime Minister’s Office also issued a strong statement aimed at Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, saying: “If this does not suit you, then you should resign.”

Reports suggest that tensions between Netanyahu and Zamir over how the war in Gaza is being carried out have now “reached their peak”, according to Israeli Army Radio.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the international community to act quickly against Israel’s plan, calling it a serious threat.

Meanwhile, a 32-page proposal titled Gaza Security and Recovery Program is reportedly under consideration by the Israeli government. The plan, seen by Euronews, rejects a Palestinian state, UN involvement, and the Palestinian Authority.

The proposal depicts what "the day after" should look like in the scenario of the fall of Hamas.

It outlines economic reconstruction, building infrastructure and, as the authors of the study say, "uprooting a murderous ideology," also labelled as a process of "de-Nazification."

Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan on Monday accused the US and other Western countries of ignoring Israeli actions in Gaza.

He said Netanyahu’s government holds “full responsibility” for the hostages’ lives, blaming its “stubbornness, arrogance, and refusal to reach a ceasefire” while escalating what he called a “war of extermination and starvation” against Palestinians.

More than 60,930 Palestinians, including at least 18,430 children, have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, according to Gaza health authorities.

Forty-nine captives, including 27 who are believed to be dead, are still being held by Hamas, according to Israeli authorities.