'Die is cast': Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders full occupation of Gaza strip despite objections within IDF, global pleas to end war
Netanyahu is due to seek cabinet backing this week for the bold plan to occupy the Gaza strip, despite strong objections from the IDF, urging the PM to seek alternative war methods.
The Times of Israel reported senior official close to the premier have been quoted in Ynet saying, 'The die is cast — we are going for a full occupation of the Gaza Strip.'
'There will be operations even in areas where hostages are being held. If the IDF chief of staff doesn't agree, he should resign."
The Israeli military currently hold operations in about 75 per cent of the Gaza strip, but under the Israeli leader's new plan, the IDF would capture the rest of the besieged enclave, including where the hostages are believed to be held in captivity.
Several ministers have reportedly quoted Netanyahu using the term 'occupation of the Strip' in private conversations while describing his vision for the expansion of military operations in Gaza, which would essentially bring the entire strip under Israeli control, The Times of Israel further reported.
The fresh update on the Israeli Prime Minister's plans for next steps in Gaza comes following the collapse of indirect ceasefire talks with Hamas, with one senior Israeli source suggesting more force could be an option.
While some in the political leadership are pushing for expanding the offensive, the military is concerned that doing so will endanger the 20 hostages who are still alive, the officials said.
Israeli Army Radio reported on Monday that military chief Eyal Zamir has become increasingly frustrated with what he describes as a lack of strategic clarity by the political leadership, concerned about being dragged into a war of attrition with Hamas militants.
A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declined to comment on the report but said that the military has plans in store.
"We have different ways to fight the terror organization, and that's what the army does," Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said.
On Tuesday, Qatar and Egypt endorsed a declaration by France and Saudi Arabia outlining steps toward a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which included a call on Hamas to hand over its arms to the Western-backed Palestinian Authority.
Hamas has repeatedly said it won't lay down arms. But it has told mediators it was willing to quit governance in Gaza for a non-partisan ruling body, according to three Hamas officials.
It insists that the post-war Gaza arrangement must be agreed upon among the Palestinians themselves and not dictated by foreign powers.
Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar suggested on Monday that the gaps were still too wide to bridge.
"We would like to have all our hostages back. We would like to see the end of this war. We always prefer to get there by diplomatic means, if possible. But of course, the big question is, what will be the conditions for the end of the war?" he told journalists in Jerusalem.
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