How Netanyahu squandered his moment to halt the war in Gaza
Six weeks later, the prime minister has squandered that moment. The talks between Hamas and Israel are, yet again, stuck. Israel is now pushing for a deal to end the war in one go, instead of in phases. The move brings negotiations to where they were 19 months ago, when mediators last tried to reach a comprehensive deal, and it is just as likely to fail as it did then.
Now as then, both Hamas and Netanyahu are refusing to make the compromises needed for such a comprehensive deal to work.
'As long as this is the government – and assuming it doesn't fundamentally change its course – there will be no comprehensive agreement, and the hostages will not return, ' wrote Oren Setter, a former member of Israel's negotiation team, in a column on Monday in the Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahrono t. 'The opposition needs to understand this, the public needs to understand this, and the media needs to understand this,' Setter added.
In short, the credit Netanyahu accrued following the war with Iran in June has evaporated, both domestically and overseas.
International condemnation of the growing starvation in Gaza – which aid agencies and many foreign governments have largely blamed on Israel's 11-week blockade on the territory between March and May – is at its peak. Partly to protest Israel's responsibility for that situation, several of the country's long-standing allies have recognised a Palestinian state, or pledged to do so in the near future.
In the United States, most Democratic senators voted last week to block some arms sales to Israel. A Republican lawmaker, Marjorie Taylor Greene, has accused Israel of genocide, an accusation it strongly denies.
Domestic opposition to the war in Gaza is at an all-time high, and calls are growing for the remaining hostages held by Hamas to be returned through a diplomatic deal. Israel's ability to sustain the war, amid growing fatigue among its military reservists, is increasingly under question. After a rise in death by suicide of reserve soldiers, the military has set up a committee to investigate how to better support those leaving service.
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The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Dozens killed in Gaza as Israel weighs military action
At least 38 Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip while seeking aid from United Nations convoys and sites run by an Israeli-backed American contractor, according to local health officials. The Israeli military said it had fired warning shots when crowds approached its forces. Another 25 people, including several women and children, were killed in Israeli air strikes, according to local hospitals in Gaza. The military said it only targets Hamas militants. The latest deaths came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to announce further military action — and possibly plans for Israel to fully reoccupy Gaza. Experts say Israel's ongoing military offensive and blockade are already pushing the territory of some two million Palestinians into famine. A new UN report said only 1.5 per cent of Gaza's cropland is accessible and undamaged. Another escalation of the nearly 22-month war could put the lives of countless Palestinians and around 20 living Israeli hostages at risk, and would draw fierce opposition both internationally and within Israel. Netanyahu's far-right coalition allies have long called for the war to be expanded, and for Israel to eventually take over Gaza, relocate much of its population and rebuild Jewish settlements there. US President Donald Trump, asked by a reporter on Tuesday whether he supported the reoccupation of Gaza, said he wasn't aware of the "suggestion" but that "it's going to be pretty much up to Israel". Of the 38 Palestinians killed while seeking aid, at least 28 died in the Morag Corridor, an Israeli military zone in southern Gaza where UN convoys have been repeatedly overwhelmed by looters and desperate crowds in recent days, and where witnesses say Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire. The Israeli military said troops fired warning shots as Palestinians advanced toward them, and that it was not aware of any casualties. Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies, said another four people were killed in the Teina area, on a route leading to a site in southern Gaza run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an American contractor. The Al-Awda Hospital said it received the bodies of six people killed near a GHF site in central Gaza. GHF said there were no violent incidents at or near its sites. Two of the Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza City, in the north of the territory, killing 13 people there, including six children and five women, according to the Al-Ahli Hospital, which received the bodies. The Israeli military says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas because its militants are entrenched in heavily populated areas. UN experts say Israeli-backed aid group should be dismantled. Israel facilitated the establishment of four GHF sites in May after blocking the entry of all food, medicine and other goods for 2.5 months. Israeli and US officials said a new system was needed to prevent Hamas from siphoning off humanitarian aid. The United Nations, which has delivered aid to hundreds of distribution points across Gaza throughout the war when conditions allow, has rejected the new system, saying it forces Palestinians to travel long distances and risk their lives for food, and that it allows Israel to control who gets aid, potentially using it to advance plans for further mass displacement. The UN human rights office said last week that some 1400 Palestinians have been killed seeking aid since May, mostly near GHF sites but also along UN convoy routes where trucks have been overwhelmed by crowds. It says nearly all were killed by Israeli fire. This week, a group of UN special rapporteurs and independent human rights experts called for the GHF to be disbanded, saying it is "an utterly disturbing example of how humanitarian relief can be exploited for covert military and geopolitical agendas in serious breach of international law". At least 38 Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip while seeking aid from United Nations convoys and sites run by an Israeli-backed American contractor, according to local health officials. The Israeli military said it had fired warning shots when crowds approached its forces. Another 25 people, including several women and children, were killed in Israeli air strikes, according to local hospitals in Gaza. The military said it only targets Hamas militants. The latest deaths came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to announce further military action — and possibly plans for Israel to fully reoccupy Gaza. Experts say Israel's ongoing military offensive and blockade are already pushing the territory of some two million Palestinians into famine. A new UN report said only 1.5 per cent of Gaza's cropland is accessible and undamaged. Another escalation of the nearly 22-month war could put the lives of countless Palestinians and around 20 living Israeli hostages at risk, and would draw fierce opposition both internationally and within Israel. Netanyahu's far-right coalition allies have long called for the war to be expanded, and for Israel to eventually take over Gaza, relocate much of its population and rebuild Jewish settlements there. US President Donald Trump, asked by a reporter on Tuesday whether he supported the reoccupation of Gaza, said he wasn't aware of the "suggestion" but that "it's going to be pretty much up to Israel". Of the 38 Palestinians killed while seeking aid, at least 28 died in the Morag Corridor, an Israeli military zone in southern Gaza where UN convoys have been repeatedly overwhelmed by looters and desperate crowds in recent days, and where witnesses say Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire. The Israeli military said troops fired warning shots as Palestinians advanced toward them, and that it was not aware of any casualties. Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies, said another four people were killed in the Teina area, on a route leading to a site in southern Gaza run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an American contractor. The Al-Awda Hospital said it received the bodies of six people killed near a GHF site in central Gaza. GHF said there were no violent incidents at or near its sites. Two of the Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza City, in the north of the territory, killing 13 people there, including six children and five women, according to the Al-Ahli Hospital, which received the bodies. The Israeli military says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas because its militants are entrenched in heavily populated areas. UN experts say Israeli-backed aid group should be dismantled. Israel facilitated the establishment of four GHF sites in May after blocking the entry of all food, medicine and other goods for 2.5 months. Israeli and US officials said a new system was needed to prevent Hamas from siphoning off humanitarian aid. The United Nations, which has delivered aid to hundreds of distribution points across Gaza throughout the war when conditions allow, has rejected the new system, saying it forces Palestinians to travel long distances and risk their lives for food, and that it allows Israel to control who gets aid, potentially using it to advance plans for further mass displacement. The UN human rights office said last week that some 1400 Palestinians have been killed seeking aid since May, mostly near GHF sites but also along UN convoy routes where trucks have been overwhelmed by crowds. It says nearly all were killed by Israeli fire. This week, a group of UN special rapporteurs and independent human rights experts called for the GHF to be disbanded, saying it is "an utterly disturbing example of how humanitarian relief can be exploited for covert military and geopolitical agendas in serious breach of international law". At least 38 Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip while seeking aid from United Nations convoys and sites run by an Israeli-backed American contractor, according to local health officials. The Israeli military said it had fired warning shots when crowds approached its forces. Another 25 people, including several women and children, were killed in Israeli air strikes, according to local hospitals in Gaza. The military said it only targets Hamas militants. The latest deaths came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to announce further military action — and possibly plans for Israel to fully reoccupy Gaza. Experts say Israel's ongoing military offensive and blockade are already pushing the territory of some two million Palestinians into famine. A new UN report said only 1.5 per cent of Gaza's cropland is accessible and undamaged. Another escalation of the nearly 22-month war could put the lives of countless Palestinians and around 20 living Israeli hostages at risk, and would draw fierce opposition both internationally and within Israel. Netanyahu's far-right coalition allies have long called for the war to be expanded, and for Israel to eventually take over Gaza, relocate much of its population and rebuild Jewish settlements there. US President Donald Trump, asked by a reporter on Tuesday whether he supported the reoccupation of Gaza, said he wasn't aware of the "suggestion" but that "it's going to be pretty much up to Israel". Of the 38 Palestinians killed while seeking aid, at least 28 died in the Morag Corridor, an Israeli military zone in southern Gaza where UN convoys have been repeatedly overwhelmed by looters and desperate crowds in recent days, and where witnesses say Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire. The Israeli military said troops fired warning shots as Palestinians advanced toward them, and that it was not aware of any casualties. Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies, said another four people were killed in the Teina area, on a route leading to a site in southern Gaza run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an American contractor. The Al-Awda Hospital said it received the bodies of six people killed near a GHF site in central Gaza. GHF said there were no violent incidents at or near its sites. Two of the Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza City, in the north of the territory, killing 13 people there, including six children and five women, according to the Al-Ahli Hospital, which received the bodies. The Israeli military says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas because its militants are entrenched in heavily populated areas. UN experts say Israeli-backed aid group should be dismantled. Israel facilitated the establishment of four GHF sites in May after blocking the entry of all food, medicine and other goods for 2.5 months. Israeli and US officials said a new system was needed to prevent Hamas from siphoning off humanitarian aid. The United Nations, which has delivered aid to hundreds of distribution points across Gaza throughout the war when conditions allow, has rejected the new system, saying it forces Palestinians to travel long distances and risk their lives for food, and that it allows Israel to control who gets aid, potentially using it to advance plans for further mass displacement. The UN human rights office said last week that some 1400 Palestinians have been killed seeking aid since May, mostly near GHF sites but also along UN convoy routes where trucks have been overwhelmed by crowds. It says nearly all were killed by Israeli fire. This week, a group of UN special rapporteurs and independent human rights experts called for the GHF to be disbanded, saying it is "an utterly disturbing example of how humanitarian relief can be exploited for covert military and geopolitical agendas in serious breach of international law". At least 38 Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip while seeking aid from United Nations convoys and sites run by an Israeli-backed American contractor, according to local health officials. The Israeli military said it had fired warning shots when crowds approached its forces. Another 25 people, including several women and children, were killed in Israeli air strikes, according to local hospitals in Gaza. The military said it only targets Hamas militants. The latest deaths came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to announce further military action — and possibly plans for Israel to fully reoccupy Gaza. Experts say Israel's ongoing military offensive and blockade are already pushing the territory of some two million Palestinians into famine. A new UN report said only 1.5 per cent of Gaza's cropland is accessible and undamaged. Another escalation of the nearly 22-month war could put the lives of countless Palestinians and around 20 living Israeli hostages at risk, and would draw fierce opposition both internationally and within Israel. Netanyahu's far-right coalition allies have long called for the war to be expanded, and for Israel to eventually take over Gaza, relocate much of its population and rebuild Jewish settlements there. US President Donald Trump, asked by a reporter on Tuesday whether he supported the reoccupation of Gaza, said he wasn't aware of the "suggestion" but that "it's going to be pretty much up to Israel". Of the 38 Palestinians killed while seeking aid, at least 28 died in the Morag Corridor, an Israeli military zone in southern Gaza where UN convoys have been repeatedly overwhelmed by looters and desperate crowds in recent days, and where witnesses say Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire. The Israeli military said troops fired warning shots as Palestinians advanced toward them, and that it was not aware of any casualties. Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies, said another four people were killed in the Teina area, on a route leading to a site in southern Gaza run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an American contractor. The Al-Awda Hospital said it received the bodies of six people killed near a GHF site in central Gaza. GHF said there were no violent incidents at or near its sites. Two of the Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza City, in the north of the territory, killing 13 people there, including six children and five women, according to the Al-Ahli Hospital, which received the bodies. The Israeli military says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas because its militants are entrenched in heavily populated areas. UN experts say Israeli-backed aid group should be dismantled. Israel facilitated the establishment of four GHF sites in May after blocking the entry of all food, medicine and other goods for 2.5 months. Israeli and US officials said a new system was needed to prevent Hamas from siphoning off humanitarian aid. The United Nations, which has delivered aid to hundreds of distribution points across Gaza throughout the war when conditions allow, has rejected the new system, saying it forces Palestinians to travel long distances and risk their lives for food, and that it allows Israel to control who gets aid, potentially using it to advance plans for further mass displacement. The UN human rights office said last week that some 1400 Palestinians have been killed seeking aid since May, mostly near GHF sites but also along UN convoy routes where trucks have been overwhelmed by crowds. It says nearly all were killed by Israeli fire. This week, a group of UN special rapporteurs and independent human rights experts called for the GHF to be disbanded, saying it is "an utterly disturbing example of how humanitarian relief can be exploited for covert military and geopolitical agendas in serious breach of international law".
News.com.au
6 hours ago
- News.com.au
Israel orders army to execute govt decisions on Gaza
Israel's military will have to execute any government decisions on Gaza, the defence minister said Wednesday after reported disagreements over the prospect of a full occupation of the Palestinian territory. As the war nears its 23rd month, signs of a rift over Israel's strategy have emerged with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu preparing to announce a new plan. He has said Israel must "complete" the defeat of Palestinian militant group Hamas in order to secure the release of hostages still held in Gaza since the October 2023 attack that triggered the war. The Israeli press, citing officials speaking on condition of anonymity, has predicted an escalation of operations, including in densely populated areas where hostages are believed to be held, such as Gaza City and refugee camps. On Wednesday, the military issued a fresh evacuation call for parts of Gaza City, in the north, and Khan Yunis in the south, where a spokesman said ground troops were preparing to "expand the scope of combat operations". Media reports in Israel have said Netanyahu and his cabinet may order a full military occupation of Gaza, allegedly sparking dissension from armed forces chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir. On Tuesday, Netanyahu held a three-hour meeting with security chiefs including Zamir to discuss options for the continuation of the war, the premier's office said in a statement. At the meeting, Zamir warned that a full occupation would be like "walking into a trap", public broadcaster Kan reported. Channel 12 television said the armed forces chief suggested alternatives to a full occupation, such as encircling specific areas where Hamas militants are believed to be hunkering down. Defence Minister Israel Katz said in post on X that while "it is the right and duty of the chief of staff to express his position in the appropriate forums", the military is bound by any decisions made by the government. "Once decisions are made by the political echelon, the IDF will execute them with determination and professionalism," Katz said, using an acronym for the Israeli military. - Trump says 'up to Israel' - Netanyahu is expected to convene his security cabinet on Thursday to finalise a decision on the expansion of the offensive, Israeli media reported. Opposition leader Yair Lapid said he told Netanyahu in a Wednesday meeting that "occupying Gaza is a very bad idea... operationally, morally and economically". US President Donald Trump told reporters on Tuesday he was not aware of plans to occupy the entire Gaza Strip, but said that such a decision would be "up to Israel". The Israeli government is under growing pressure to bring the war to an end, with mounting concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and increasing alarm among Israelis about the fate of the remaining hostages. Out of 251 hostages seized during Hamas's 2023 attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. The UN Security Council held a special session on Tuesday to discuss the plight of the Israeli hostages, as the country seeks to keep the issue at the top of the global agenda. On Tuesday, Trump described a recent video released by Hamas of emaciated Israeli hostage Evyatar David purportedly digging his own grave as "horrible." In parallel, international criticism has surged over the suffering of the more than two million Palestinian inhabitants of Gaza after the United Nations warned that famine is unfolding in the territory. - 'Dangerous roads' - On the ground, Gaza's civil defence agency said on Wednesday that at least 22 people were killed overnight when an aid truck overturned onto a crowd of people hoping to collect food rations. "The truck overturned while hundreds of civilians were waiting for food aid" in central Gaza, civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP. He said that "the truck had been forced by the Israeli army to take dangerous roads" that had been damaged in bomardments. The Hamas-run government accused Israel of "deliberately obstructing the safe passage and distribution of the aid". Asked by AFP, a military official said the army was not involved in the incident. At the end of May, Israel eased the aid blockade it had imposed in early March. But the United Nations says the quantities of aid being allowed into Gaza are still insufficient. The October 2023 attack that sparked the war resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, the majority of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. The Israeli offensive has killed at least 61,158 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Gaza health ministry which are considered reliable by the United Nations.
The Advertiser
7 hours ago
- The Advertiser
At least 20 killed in Gaza as aid truck overturns
At least 20 people have been killed and more than 30 injured after a truck loaded with humanitarian aid overturned into a crowd in the Gaza Strip, according to a report. The Palestinian news agency WAFA, citing medical sources, said dozens more were injured in the incident, which occurred in the central part of the coastal territory. Crowds rushed to the truck on a road south east of Deir al-Balah. It remains unclear whether the incident was an accident or whether people seeking aid caused the truck to overturn. The report said large numbers of starving civilians had gathered to receive humanitarian assistance, and the truck was allegedly forced onto an unsafe route by the Israeli military. WAFA reported that as of Tuesday, the death toll from aid-related incidents reached 52, with 352 injuries, bringing the total number of such fatalities to 1568, with 11,230 injuries recorded in hospitals. The claims could not be independently verified. According to the United Nations, most aid trucks are looted by hungry civilians and armed groups after entering Gaza and before reaching their destinations, often resulting in chaotic and dangerous scenes. The UN warns widespread famine threatens the war-torn territory, home to two million people, despite Israel having allowed increased aid deliveries for more than a week. Separately, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced pushback from the head of the military over his proposal to seize remaining areas of Gaza it doesn't already control during a tense three-hour meeting, officials said. Eyal Zamir, the military chief of staff, warned the prime minister that taking the rest of Gaza could trap the military in the territory, which it withdrew from two decades ago, and could lead to harm to the hostages being held there, sources briefed on the meeting said. The Israeli military says it already controls 75 per cent of Gaza after nearly two years of war, which began when militant group Hamas attacked southern Israeli communities in October 2023. The UN has called reports about a possible expansion of Israel's military operations in Gaza "deeply alarming" if true. The prime minister's office said in a statement that Netanyahu held a "limited security discussion" lasting about three hours during which Zamir "presented the options for continuing the campaign in Gaza". Netanyahu, who favours an expansion of military operations, told Zamir that so far the military had failed to bring about the release of the hostages, officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. Defence Minister Israel Katz wrote on X that the military chief has both the right and the duty to voice his opinion, but said the military would carry out the government's decisions until all war objectives are achieved. The prime minister's office declined to comment further and the military did not respond to a request for comment. Netanyahu is scheduled to discuss military plans for Gaza with other ministers on Thursday. UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca told a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Gaza that such a move "would risk catastrophic consequences... and could further endanger the lives of the remaining hostages in Gaza". A Palestinian official said the suggestion of a full takeover of Gaza may be a tactic to pressure Hamas into concessions, while the Palestinian Foreign Ministry urged foreign nations to take heed of the reports. The war was triggered when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1200 people, mostly civilians, and capturing 251 hostages. Israel's military response has devastated the tiny, crowded enclave, killing more than 61,000 people - mostly civilians - according to Palestinian health authorities. Israel's campaign has forced nearly all of Gaza's more than two million people from their homes and caused what a global hunger monitor called last week an unfolding famine. with DPA and EFE At least 20 people have been killed and more than 30 injured after a truck loaded with humanitarian aid overturned into a crowd in the Gaza Strip, according to a report. The Palestinian news agency WAFA, citing medical sources, said dozens more were injured in the incident, which occurred in the central part of the coastal territory. Crowds rushed to the truck on a road south east of Deir al-Balah. It remains unclear whether the incident was an accident or whether people seeking aid caused the truck to overturn. The report said large numbers of starving civilians had gathered to receive humanitarian assistance, and the truck was allegedly forced onto an unsafe route by the Israeli military. WAFA reported that as of Tuesday, the death toll from aid-related incidents reached 52, with 352 injuries, bringing the total number of such fatalities to 1568, with 11,230 injuries recorded in hospitals. The claims could not be independently verified. According to the United Nations, most aid trucks are looted by hungry civilians and armed groups after entering Gaza and before reaching their destinations, often resulting in chaotic and dangerous scenes. The UN warns widespread famine threatens the war-torn territory, home to two million people, despite Israel having allowed increased aid deliveries for more than a week. Separately, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced pushback from the head of the military over his proposal to seize remaining areas of Gaza it doesn't already control during a tense three-hour meeting, officials said. Eyal Zamir, the military chief of staff, warned the prime minister that taking the rest of Gaza could trap the military in the territory, which it withdrew from two decades ago, and could lead to harm to the hostages being held there, sources briefed on the meeting said. The Israeli military says it already controls 75 per cent of Gaza after nearly two years of war, which began when militant group Hamas attacked southern Israeli communities in October 2023. The UN has called reports about a possible expansion of Israel's military operations in Gaza "deeply alarming" if true. The prime minister's office said in a statement that Netanyahu held a "limited security discussion" lasting about three hours during which Zamir "presented the options for continuing the campaign in Gaza". Netanyahu, who favours an expansion of military operations, told Zamir that so far the military had failed to bring about the release of the hostages, officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. Defence Minister Israel Katz wrote on X that the military chief has both the right and the duty to voice his opinion, but said the military would carry out the government's decisions until all war objectives are achieved. The prime minister's office declined to comment further and the military did not respond to a request for comment. Netanyahu is scheduled to discuss military plans for Gaza with other ministers on Thursday. UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca told a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Gaza that such a move "would risk catastrophic consequences... and could further endanger the lives of the remaining hostages in Gaza". A Palestinian official said the suggestion of a full takeover of Gaza may be a tactic to pressure Hamas into concessions, while the Palestinian Foreign Ministry urged foreign nations to take heed of the reports. The war was triggered when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1200 people, mostly civilians, and capturing 251 hostages. Israel's military response has devastated the tiny, crowded enclave, killing more than 61,000 people - mostly civilians - according to Palestinian health authorities. Israel's campaign has forced nearly all of Gaza's more than two million people from their homes and caused what a global hunger monitor called last week an unfolding famine. with DPA and EFE At least 20 people have been killed and more than 30 injured after a truck loaded with humanitarian aid overturned into a crowd in the Gaza Strip, according to a report. The Palestinian news agency WAFA, citing medical sources, said dozens more were injured in the incident, which occurred in the central part of the coastal territory. Crowds rushed to the truck on a road south east of Deir al-Balah. It remains unclear whether the incident was an accident or whether people seeking aid caused the truck to overturn. The report said large numbers of starving civilians had gathered to receive humanitarian assistance, and the truck was allegedly forced onto an unsafe route by the Israeli military. WAFA reported that as of Tuesday, the death toll from aid-related incidents reached 52, with 352 injuries, bringing the total number of such fatalities to 1568, with 11,230 injuries recorded in hospitals. The claims could not be independently verified. According to the United Nations, most aid trucks are looted by hungry civilians and armed groups after entering Gaza and before reaching their destinations, often resulting in chaotic and dangerous scenes. The UN warns widespread famine threatens the war-torn territory, home to two million people, despite Israel having allowed increased aid deliveries for more than a week. Separately, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced pushback from the head of the military over his proposal to seize remaining areas of Gaza it doesn't already control during a tense three-hour meeting, officials said. Eyal Zamir, the military chief of staff, warned the prime minister that taking the rest of Gaza could trap the military in the territory, which it withdrew from two decades ago, and could lead to harm to the hostages being held there, sources briefed on the meeting said. The Israeli military says it already controls 75 per cent of Gaza after nearly two years of war, which began when militant group Hamas attacked southern Israeli communities in October 2023. The UN has called reports about a possible expansion of Israel's military operations in Gaza "deeply alarming" if true. The prime minister's office said in a statement that Netanyahu held a "limited security discussion" lasting about three hours during which Zamir "presented the options for continuing the campaign in Gaza". Netanyahu, who favours an expansion of military operations, told Zamir that so far the military had failed to bring about the release of the hostages, officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. Defence Minister Israel Katz wrote on X that the military chief has both the right and the duty to voice his opinion, but said the military would carry out the government's decisions until all war objectives are achieved. The prime minister's office declined to comment further and the military did not respond to a request for comment. Netanyahu is scheduled to discuss military plans for Gaza with other ministers on Thursday. UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca told a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Gaza that such a move "would risk catastrophic consequences... and could further endanger the lives of the remaining hostages in Gaza". A Palestinian official said the suggestion of a full takeover of Gaza may be a tactic to pressure Hamas into concessions, while the Palestinian Foreign Ministry urged foreign nations to take heed of the reports. The war was triggered when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1200 people, mostly civilians, and capturing 251 hostages. Israel's military response has devastated the tiny, crowded enclave, killing more than 61,000 people - mostly civilians - according to Palestinian health authorities. Israel's campaign has forced nearly all of Gaza's more than two million people from their homes and caused what a global hunger monitor called last week an unfolding famine. with DPA and EFE At least 20 people have been killed and more than 30 injured after a truck loaded with humanitarian aid overturned into a crowd in the Gaza Strip, according to a report. The Palestinian news agency WAFA, citing medical sources, said dozens more were injured in the incident, which occurred in the central part of the coastal territory. Crowds rushed to the truck on a road south east of Deir al-Balah. It remains unclear whether the incident was an accident or whether people seeking aid caused the truck to overturn. The report said large numbers of starving civilians had gathered to receive humanitarian assistance, and the truck was allegedly forced onto an unsafe route by the Israeli military. WAFA reported that as of Tuesday, the death toll from aid-related incidents reached 52, with 352 injuries, bringing the total number of such fatalities to 1568, with 11,230 injuries recorded in hospitals. The claims could not be independently verified. According to the United Nations, most aid trucks are looted by hungry civilians and armed groups after entering Gaza and before reaching their destinations, often resulting in chaotic and dangerous scenes. The UN warns widespread famine threatens the war-torn territory, home to two million people, despite Israel having allowed increased aid deliveries for more than a week. Separately, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced pushback from the head of the military over his proposal to seize remaining areas of Gaza it doesn't already control during a tense three-hour meeting, officials said. Eyal Zamir, the military chief of staff, warned the prime minister that taking the rest of Gaza could trap the military in the territory, which it withdrew from two decades ago, and could lead to harm to the hostages being held there, sources briefed on the meeting said. The Israeli military says it already controls 75 per cent of Gaza after nearly two years of war, which began when militant group Hamas attacked southern Israeli communities in October 2023. The UN has called reports about a possible expansion of Israel's military operations in Gaza "deeply alarming" if true. The prime minister's office said in a statement that Netanyahu held a "limited security discussion" lasting about three hours during which Zamir "presented the options for continuing the campaign in Gaza". Netanyahu, who favours an expansion of military operations, told Zamir that so far the military had failed to bring about the release of the hostages, officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. Defence Minister Israel Katz wrote on X that the military chief has both the right and the duty to voice his opinion, but said the military would carry out the government's decisions until all war objectives are achieved. The prime minister's office declined to comment further and the military did not respond to a request for comment. Netanyahu is scheduled to discuss military plans for Gaza with other ministers on Thursday. UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca told a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Gaza that such a move "would risk catastrophic consequences... and could further endanger the lives of the remaining hostages in Gaza". A Palestinian official said the suggestion of a full takeover of Gaza may be a tactic to pressure Hamas into concessions, while the Palestinian Foreign Ministry urged foreign nations to take heed of the reports. The war was triggered when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1200 people, mostly civilians, and capturing 251 hostages. Israel's military response has devastated the tiny, crowded enclave, killing more than 61,000 people - mostly civilians - according to Palestinian health authorities. Israel's campaign has forced nearly all of Gaza's more than two million people from their homes and caused what a global hunger monitor called last week an unfolding famine. with DPA and EFE
