Is Israel preparing for full military occupation of Gaza? Netanyahu's ‘small' meet with ministers raises alarm

Mint

4 days ago

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly convening a small circle of senior ministers to discuss plans for the Israeli military to take control of additional territory in Gaza, according to Reuters report.
The meeting comes on the heels of what officials have described as a tense three-hour exchange between Netanyahu and Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, during which the military leadership pushed back against the idea of escalating the nearly two-year-long war in Gaza.
The proposal under consideration would see the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) extend their reach into parts of Gaza not yet under full Israeli control. Critics warn that such an expansion would endanger hostages and soldiers alike, while further displacing Gaza's already traumatised civilian population.
Despite Netanyahu's insistence on achieving 'total victory' over Hamas, public sentiment in Israel appears to be shifting. Opinion polls now show a majority of Israelis favour a negotiated deal that would secure the release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza.
Hostage families have taken their appeals public. Einav Zangauker, the mother of one captive, posted on X:
'Someone who talks about a comprehensive deal doesn't go and conquer the Strip and put hostages and soldiers in danger.'
The Hostages Families Forum has called on Chief of Staff Zamir to oppose the expansion of military operations and urged the government to pursue a deal that would end the war and bring the hostages home.
Roughly 50 hostages remain in Gaza, with Israeli authorities believing only 20 are still alive. Most previous releases have occurred through diplomatic negotiations. However, talks toward a ceasefire and hostage release collapsed in July, and fresh images of two hostages — emaciated and visibly frail — triggered international outrage last week.
Hamas, which has ruled Gaza for nearly two decades but now controls only parts of the territory, continues to insist that any agreement must include a permanent end to hostilities. Israel, for its part, accuses the group of refusing to relinquish power, demanding complete demilitarisation of Gaza and the full release of hostages as non-negotiable preconditions.
Yes. The United Nations has called reports of Israel planning a broader military takeover of Gaza "deeply alarming". With Gaza's infrastructure in ruins and humanitarian aid severely limited, further conflict would exacerbate an already catastrophic crisis.
Israeli military officials claim to control roughly 75% of Gaza, but aid organisations warn that 2 million civilians have been displaced multiple times since the war began. Starvation and disease are widespread, and Gaza's Health Ministry reports that close to 200 Palestinians — nearly half of them children — have died of hunger since the conflict began.
For ordinary Gazans, survival remains the only priority.
'You know what displacement is?' asked Aya Mohammad, a 30-year-old resident of Gaza City. 'It means your dignity is wiped out, you become a homeless beggar, searching for food, water and medicine.'
Despite repeated evacuation warnings from the Israeli military, many like Rabeeha Jamal, 65, have refused to leave.
'Not until they force us if the tanks roll in,' she said. 'Otherwise, I will not go running in the street to be killed later. We don't have anywhere to go.'
Netanyahu is caught between mounting international pressure to reach a ceasefire and growing demands from far-right coalition partners to finish the job in Gaza.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a hardliner, openly expressed hope that the government would approve a full-scale military takeover of the remaining parts of Gaza. Some voices in Netanyahu's coalition are even advocating for the reestablishment of Israeli settlements in the enclave — two decades after Israel's full withdrawal in 2005.
Defence Minister Israel Katz has made it clear that the IDF will continue executing the government's directives 'until all war objectives are achieved.'
Since the war erupted following the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023, in which 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 hostages taken, the Gaza Health Ministry says over 61,000 Palestinians have died in Israeli military operations.
On Thursday alone, at least 20 more people were killed in fresh air strikes across the territory.
With Netanyahu convening his inner circle and military control of Gaza back on the table, the future remains dangerously uncertain. For many Israelis, the war's original objective of securing the hostages has become muddled amid broader territorial and political ambitions. For Palestinians, the fear of further displacement and destruction looms larger than ever.
As diplomatic efforts stall and the humanitarian toll rises, the world is left asking: Can there be an end to this war without even greater catastrophe first?