Israeli soldiers evacuate a wounded comrade<\/p>\n
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to fully occupy the Gaza Strip and expand military operations in the enclave, local media said on Monday evening.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe die is cast \u2014 we are going for a full occupation of the Gaza Strip,\u201d a senior official close to Netanyahu was quoted as saying by Yedioth Ahronoth daily.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere will be operations even in areas where hostages are being held. If the IDF (army) chief of staff doesn\u2019t agree, he should resign.\u201d<\/p>\n
Israeli Channel 12 said the decision signals a major shift in Israel\u2019s Gaza strategy, with operations now expected in densely populated areas, including central refugee camps.<\/p>\n
Public broadcaster KAN, citing Cabinet ministers who recently spoke with Netanyahu, said the premier decided to broaden military operations in Gaza despite opposition from the security establishment.<\/p>\n
He reportedly used the phrase \u201coccupation of the strip\u201d to describe the goal of defeating Hamas, the broadcaster added.<\/p>\n
Yedioth Ahronoth claimed that US President Donald Trump had given Netanyahu a \u201cgreen light\u201d to proceed with the expanded assault.<\/p>\n
According to the outlet, senior officials close to Netanyahu said: \u201cWe are heading toward full occupation of the Gaza Strip,\u201d including military operations in areas where hostages are believed to be held.<\/p>\n
Separately, Israel\u2019s Channel 13 reported that the chief of General Staff, Eyal Zamir, canceled a planned visit to Washington due to the collapse of ceasefire talks and the mounting push for expanded military operations.<\/p>\n
On July 29, Haaretz reported that Netanyahu had presented the Israeli Cabinet with a US-approved plan to reoccupy parts of Gaza.<\/p>\n
An unnamed Israeli security official told KAN Monday night that Israel had \u201cturned its back\u201d on a nearly finalized deal for a partial hostage release, accusing Netanyahu\u2019s government of quickly abandoning it.<\/p>\n
The source admitted that while Hamas had imposed some conditions, \u201cthe gaps were bridgeable \u2013 Israel wasted the opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Netanyahu has been accused both at home and abroad of deliberately prolonging the war to protect himself rather than the state of Israel.<\/p>\n
Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing nearly 61,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The military campaign has devastated the enclave and brought it to the verge of famine.<\/p>\n
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.<\/p>\n
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.<\/p>\n
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