Senior officials from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that the decision has been made and Israel is proceeding with the occupation of the Gaza Strip. According to these sources, Hamas refuses to release more hostages without complete surrender, and Israel will not yield to this demand.
According to the same officials, “Hamas will not release more hostages without complete surrender, we will not give in. If we don’t act now, the hostages will die of starvation and Gaza will remain under Hamas control.”
Meanwhile, according to the Jerusalem Post, the order was also conveyed to the Chief of the Armed Forces, accompanied by a clear and stern message: “If you don’t agree with this, then resign.”
Target: occupy the 25% of Gaza not controlled by Israeli forces
Currently, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) control approximately 75% of the Palestinian enclave. With the new plan, they aim to occupy the remaining 25%, which would mean complete control of all of Gaza. However, it remains unclear what the fate will be of millions of civilians and humanitarian organizations that continue to operate in the area.
The IDF appears opposed to the possibility of total occupation, estimating that it would take years to completely eliminate Hamas infrastructure, while also warning that the lives of hostages are in immediate danger in case of invasion into areas where they are being held.
Despite the reservations, Netanyahu stated earlier that he would convene the cabinet to give specific orders to the military for continuing the war operations.
