Israel approves plan to expand Gaza occupation

Despite the Chief of Staff’s warning that it could endanger hostages held in Gaza, the Israeli Security Cabinet has approved the plan to expand the occupation in Gaza.

According to news from Israeli state television KAN, the Security Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, approved the plan involving the gradual expansion of attacks on Gaza.

According to reports in the Israeli press, the plan is expected to be implemented only after US President Donald Trump’s visit to the region next week. Until then, ceasefire negotiations with Hamas are reported to continue.

According to officials, the plan presented by Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir includes the gradual occupation of Gaza, the Israeli army establishing permanent control in the region, directing the civilian population to southern areas, and intensifying attacks on Hamas. Furthermore, preventing Hamas’s access to humanitarian aid is also part of the plan.

According to KAN‘s report, the first phase of the plan will focus on a specific area of Gaza, and then the operation will be expanded to other areas. The conflicts are expected to last for months.

It is stated that in areas captured by ground attacks, Israeli soldiers, unlike in previous operations, will not withdraw after the conflicts and will continue the occupation in these areas.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza was also discussed at the meeting. The Israeli Security Cabinet claimed that “there is currently sufficient food” in Gaza, while also approving the option of sending humanitarian aid to the region “if necessary.”

The Cabinet also accepted the proposal involving the restructuring of the humanitarian aid distribution system to prevent aid from falling into Hamas’s hands. According to the plan previously announced by The Times of Israel, the Israeli army will withdraw from large-scale distribution and storage duties; aid will be delivered directly to the people of Gaza by international organizations and private security companies. Israel believes that this method will make it more difficult for Hamas to transfer aid to its militants.

Disagreements continue among political leaders in Israel regarding the expansion of the Gaza operation. According to Kanal 13‘s report, Chief of Staff Zamir stated in his presentation to the cabinet that there is a risk of losing hostages if a large-scale operation is launched in Gaza. Zamir, saying “We may not be able to reach the hostages in a comprehensive operation,” pointed out that the two main goals of the war, destroying Hamas and rescuing the hostages, could conflict.

In a statement from the Forum formed by hostage families, it was emphasized that the Chief of Staff’s warning should concern all Israeli people, stating, “There can be no victory achieved without rescuing the hostages. Losing the hostages would be Israel’s defeat.”

It is reported that the Israeli army has called up thousands of reserve soldiers in line with plans to expand the occupation in Gaza, but a significant portion of these soldiers may not respond to the calls due to “war fatigue.”

Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir announced yesterday that call-up orders have been sent to tens of thousands of reserve soldiers by the army. Addressing the soldiers, Zamir used the expressions, “Our goal is to bring back our hostages and defeat Hamas. In this direction, we are increasing the pressure.”

According to a report by the newspaper Haaretz, based on unnamed military sources, as part of the expansion of the occupation, reserve soldiers will replace regular units on Israel’s northern border and in the West Bank.

The report stated, “The vast majority of reserve soldiers will serve on the northern border and in the Gaza Strip, replacing regular units that will be redeployed to intensify operations in the Gaza Strip.” It was noted that many commanders and soldiers had reported, even before receiving call-ups, that they were not considering participating in the next conflict due to “fatigue.”

Nearly 1000 pilots and reserve soldiers, some retired from the Israeli Air Force, had issued a statement calling for an end to the attacks on Gaza.