UN sounds alarm over possible full Israeli takeover of Gaza
Netanyahu was expected to meet senior security officials, including Defence Minister Israel Katz and military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, to finalise a new strategy for Cabinet consideration later this week, an Israeli official told Reuters. Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close confidant of Netanyahu, would also attend.
The reported strategy would reverse a 2005 decision to withdraw settlers and troops from Gaza while retaining control of its borders, a move that Israeli right-wing parties blame for enabling Hamas to gain power in the enclave.
Israeli Channel 12, citing an official in Netanyahu's office, said the prime minister was leaning towards full control of the enclave. However, it remains unclear whether this would mean a long-term occupation or a limited operation to dismantle Hamas and rescue hostages. The prime minister's office declined to comment.
'It is still necessary to complete the defeat of the enemy in Gaza, release our hostages and ensure that Gaza never again constitutes a threat to Israel,' Netanyahu said on Tuesday at a military base. 'We are not giving up on any of these missions.'
Mediation efforts have broken down despite sustained international pressure for a ceasefire to halt the fighting, ease hunger and address worsening humanitarian conditions.
Gaza's health ministry said eight more people had died of starvation or malnutrition in the last 24 hours, while 79 others were killed in the latest Israeli fire. Palestinian authorities say more than 61,000 people have been killed in the conflict, most of them civilians.
UNITED NATIONS ALARMED BY REPORTS OF EXPANSION
The United Nations on Tuesday called reports about a possible decision to expand Israel's military operations throughout the Gaza Strip "deeply alarming" if true.
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."
"International law is clear in the regard; Gaza is and must remain an integral part of the future Palestinian state," he added.
The conflict was triggered by a Hamas-led attack on Oct 7, 2023, when militants crossed into Israel from Gaza, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seizing 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures.
Israel's military response has devastated the densely populated enclave, with more than 61,000 people killed, most of them civilians, according to Palestinian health authorities. Nearly all of Gaza's over 2 million residents have been forced from their homes, and a global hunger monitor last week described the situation as an unfolding famine.
Gaza health authorities said on Tuesday that 188 people, including 94 children, have died from hunger since the war began. Eight more deaths from starvation or malnutrition were recorded in the past 24 hours. An Israeli security official acknowledged there may be hunger in some areas but rejected reports of famine.
The hunger crisis has drawn international outrage, while the collapse of ceasefire negotiations has dashed hopes for immediate relief. On Tuesday, Israeli strikes killed another 79 Palestinians, the health ministry said.
HOSTAGE VIDEO SPARKS OUTRAGE
On Saturday, Hamas released a video showing Evyatar David, one of 50 hostages still held in Gaza, appearing gaunt and pale in what looked like an underground tunnel. The footage shocked the Israeli public and drew condemnation abroad.
Israeli officials estimate 20 of the remaining hostages are still alive. Most captives were released during earlier truces negotiated with international backing. Israel broke the last ceasefire.
A senior Palestinian official told Reuters the threat of a full Gaza takeover could be a pressure tactic aimed at forcing Hamas to make concessions. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry urged the international community to treat the possibility seriously and act to prevent it.
TANK PUSH
Israeli tanks pushed into central Gaza earlier on Tuesday, but it was unclear whether this was part of a broader ground offensive.
Palestinians in the remaining quarter of Gaza where Israel has yet to assert full control said any further incursion would be catastrophic.
"If the tanks pushed through, where would we go, into the sea? This will be like a death sentence to the entire population," said Abu Jehad, a Gaza wood merchant, who asked not to be named in full.
A Palestinian official close to the negotiations said the threat of a full takeover may be an Israeli tactic to pressure Hamas into concessions.
"It will only complicate the negotiation further. In the end, the resistance factions will not accept less than an end to the war and a full withdrawal from Gaza," the official said.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry urged the international community to take reports of an Israeli takeover seriously and to intervene urgently to prevent such plans, regardless of whether they are genuine or a pressure tactic.
Despite the deepening crisis, some goods have reportedly entered Gaza. A source told Reuters that trucks carrying chocolates and biscuits had been allowed in for a local merchant. It is hoped that essential items such as children's milk, meat, fruit, sugar and rice will also be permitted soon, which could ease shortages and lower soaring prices.
The United States' Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said last week he was working with the Israeli government on a plan that could end the conflict. However, Israeli officials have also floated proposals to expand the military campaign and potentially annex parts of Gaza.
The failed ceasefire talks in Doha had aimed to secure a 60-day truce, during which aid would be flown in and Hamas would release half of the hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.
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