Israel’s security cabinet on Thursday night was set to approve a plan to attack Gaza city, forcing more than 800,000 residents from their homes.
Prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu told ministers that the current military approach has failed to bring about the release of hostages, 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
The new Israeli assault will be gradual and will begin with the forced population transfer from Gaza city southward, while troops encircle the central area of the enclave where it is believed some of the hostages are held.
Hamas issued a statement which said Mr Netanyahu’s plans to expand the Gaza offensive show he aims to sacrifice Israeli hostages to serve his personal interests. “Expanding aggression against our people won’t be a walk in the park, its price will be heavy and costly,” the group warned.
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Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chief of staff Lieut Gen Eyal Zamir argued against a full occupation of Gaza, warning that it may endanger the hostages.
It remains unclear when the military manoeuvre will actually begin and it will likely take a few weeks to deploy the required forces. Meanwhile, Israel may call off the assault if the militant group accepts a ceasefire.
As the security cabinet got under way, Fox News aired an interview with Mr Netanyahu in which he declared that Israel will complete a takeover of Gaza and strip Hamas of its powers before passing it to civilian governance.
“We don’t want to keep it. We want to have a security perimeter,” he said. “We don’t want to be there as a governing body.”
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Earlier, meeting with Indian journalists, he reiterated that the main goals of the war remain “the complete destruction of Hamas and the return of all Israeli hostages” stressing that the war could end quickly if Hamas laid down its weapons and released the hostages unconditionally.
As the ministers gathered, thousands of Israelis protested across the country, led by relatives of the hostages. They blocked roads, accusing the government of ignoring the will of a clear majority of the public who want to end the war with a ceasefire agreement that brings all the hostages home.
A number of parents of hostages gave interviews to Israeli news channels on Thursday night with a similar message: the occupation of Gaza would put the lives of the captives in immediate danger.
“I’m just a mother begging that my son not be sacrificed,” said Anat Angrest, whose son, Matan, is one of the hostages believed to still be alive. “He’s wasting away. He’s being tortured and interrogated. The government has decided to give up on him,” she said.
A small group of relatives expressed support for the military escalation, arguing that only pressure on Hamas would force the militant group to accept a ceasefire.
[ Binyamin Netanyahu signals Israel’s intent for military to seize all of GazaOpens in new window ]
As the security cabinet meeting took place, Israel’s Channel 12 news reported that Hamas was under “intense pressure” from mediators Egypt and Qatar, along with Turkey, to return to the ceasefire talks which, the channel reported, may resume as early as next week.
In the October 7th, 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israel, 1,200 people were killed and 251 hostages taken to Gaza. More than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
