Netanyahu’s war cabinet to approve comprehensive military operations in Gaza, reports Israeli media.
Per these sources, the Israeli military will expand operations across the entire Gaza Strip, particularly in areas where Hamas is holding captives.
“The decision has been made,” said an unnamed senior official from Netanyahu’s office, who was quoted by Amit Sega, chief political analyst at Channel 12. “Hamas won’t release more hostages without a complete surrender, and we won’t surrender. Acting now is necessary to prevent the hostages from starving and to prevent Gaza from remaining under Hamas’s control.”
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced Netanyahu’s proposed plans, calling for urgent international interference “to thwart these plans whether they represent pressure tactics, trial balloons to assess international reactions or are genuinely serious actions.”
Netanyahu’s office has yet to respond to requests for comments by Al Jazeera.
These reports emerge as Netanyahu prepares to meet with his war cabinet to discuss the future of Israel’s military operations in Gaza, which are nearing the two-year mark.
Netanyahu is facing mounting global pressure to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza and put a halt to the conflict, which has seen a dramatic rise in Palestinian deaths due to malnutrition and Israeli strikes.
On Monday, Israeli strikes reportedly killed at least 74 Palestinians, including 36 aid workers, as per medical sources in Gaza.
The Israeli leader is also under significant domestic pressure to secure the release of the remaining Hamas captives after the release of footage showing emaciated detainees, Rom Braslavski and Evyatar David.
Netanyahu reiterated his war objectives on Monday, including defeating Hamas and securing the release of the remaining captives. “We must stand together and fight together to achieve all our war objectives: defeating the enemy, releasing our hostages, and ensuring Gaza no longer threatens Israel,” he stated.
Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, accused the U.S. and other Western nations of ignoring Israeli atrocities and held Netanyahu’s government responsible for the captives, citing “stubbornness, arrogance, evasion from reaching a ceasefire agreement, and the escalation of the war of extermination and starvation against our people.”
Since October 2023, Gaza health authorities report that over 60,930 Palestinians, including at least 18,430 children, have been killed. Forty-nine captives, including 27 believed to be dead, are still held by Hamas, according to Israeli authorities.
