Netanyahu to suggest full reoccupation of Gaza, Israeli media report

[ad_1] Yolande Knell BBC Information, Jerusalem

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/2025/live/5a73d3d0-71f2-11f0-a178-03cc5fabe4bc.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/2025/live/5a73d3d0-71f2-11f0-a178-03cc5fabe4bc.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/2025/live/5a73d3d0-71f2-11f0-a178-03cc5fabe4bc.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/2025/live/5a73d3d0-71f2-11f0-a178-03cc5fabe4bc.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/2025/live/5a73d3d0-71f2-11f0-a178-03cc5fabe4bc.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/2025/live/5a73d3d0-71f2-11f0-a178-03cc5fabe4bc.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/2025/live/5a73d3d0-71f2-11f0-a178-03cc5fabe4bc.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/2025/live/5a73d3d0-71f2-11f0-a178-03cc5fabe4bc.jpg.webp" loading="eager" alt="Reuters Benjamin Netanyahu" class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> Reuters Netanyahu's plan reportedly faces opposition from navy chiefs

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to suggest absolutely reoccupying the Gaza Strip when he meets his safety cupboard, Israeli media say.

"The die has been solid. We're going for the complete conquest of the Gaza Strip – and defeating Hamas," native journalists quote a senior official saying.

Responding to stories that the military chief and different navy leaders oppose the plan, the unnamed official mentioned: "If that does not work for the chief of employees, he ought to resign."

The households of hostages worry such plans might endanger their family members, with 20 out of fifty believed to be alive in Gaza, whereas polls recommend three in 4 Israelis as a substitute favour a ceasefire deal to return them.

A lot of Israel's shut allies would additionally condemn such a transfer as they push for an finish to the battle and motion to alleviate a humanitarian disaster.

Inside Israel, a whole bunch of retired Israeli safety officers, together with former heads of intelligence companies, issued a joint letter to US President Donald Trump on Monday, calling for him to strain Netanyahu to finish the battle.

One of many signatories, ex-domestic intelligence company chief Ami Ayalon, instructed the BBC that additional navy motion could be futile.

"From the navy perspective, [Hamas] is completely destroyed. Then again, as an ideology it's getting increasingly more energy among the many Palestinian folks, throughout the Arab road round us, and in addition on the earth of Islam.

"So the one approach to defeat Hamas's ideology is to current a greater future."

The newest developments come after oblique talks with Hamas on a ceasefire and hostage deal broke down and Palestinian armed teams launched three movies of two Israeli hostages wanting weak and emaciated.

The footage of Rom Blaslavski and Evyatar David, each kidnapped from the Nova pageant on 7 October 2023, has shocked and appalled Israelis. David is proven digging what he says is his personal grave in an underground tunnel.

There was some hypothesis that the newest media bulletins are a strain tactic to attempt to power Hamas into a brand new deal.

Israel's navy says it already has operational management of 75% of Gaza. However underneath the proposed plan it might occupy your entire territory – shifting into areas the place greater than two million Palestinians at the moment are concentrated.

It's unclear what that might imply for civilians and for the operations of the UN and different support teams. About 90% of Gaza's 2.1 million folks have been displaced, some repeatedly, and reside in overcrowded and dire situations. Humanitarian teams and UN officers say many are ravenous, accusing Israel of impeding the distribution of essential support.

The Israeli navy has beforehand held again from some areas, together with elements of central Gaza, due to an assumption that there reside hostages held there. Final yr, six Israeli hostages have been executed by their captors after floor forces moved in.

There has not been a proper response however officers from the Palestinian Authority, which governs elements of the occupied West Financial institution, denounced the Israeli proposal, calling on the worldwide group to intervene to stop any new navy occupation.

Palestinians level out that far-right Israeli ministers have been brazenly advocating for the complete occupation and annexation of Gaza and in the end need to construct new Jewish settlements there.

In 2005, Israel dismantled settlements within the Gaza Strip and withdrew its forces from there.

However alongside Egypt, it maintained a good management of entry to the territory.

The brand new occupation concept comes amid rising worldwide strikes to revive the two-state resolution – the long-time worldwide components to resolve the decades-old Israel-Palestinian battle. It envisages an impartial Palestinian state being created alongside Israel within the West Financial institution and Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Final week, the UK and Canada joined France in asserting conditional plans for recognising a Palestinian state.

The Israeli PM is now anticipated to satisfy with key ministers and navy leaders to resolve subsequent steps in Gaza. Israeli military radio says they're because of focus on preliminary military plans to encompass the central refugee camps and perform air strikes and floor raids.

Netanyahu mentioned he would convene a full safety cupboard assembly this week.

Israeli media commentators have voiced scepticism and drawn consideration to the sensible navy, political and diplomatic challenges. Writing within the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, Nahum Barnea says: "Netanyahu has by no means taken a chance on this scale earlier than."

He notes that the Israeli PM has repeated his vow to attain all of his battle targets.

"However after 22 months of bloody preventing, it's laborious to take these sorts of guarantees severely. It appears that evidently Netanyahu has only one goal within the battle in Gaza, to extend the battle."

Israel launched its navy offensive in Gaza in response to Hamas's assault on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, during which about 1,200 folks have been killed and 251 others taken to Gaza as hostages.