Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s plan for occupying the entire Gaza Strip, expected to be approved at Thursday night’s security cabinet meeting, would force about a million Palestinians, many of whom have already been displaced numerous times, to leave their homes.
It is estimated that the planned assault would last at least five months and focus on Gaza city and the central region of Gaza, including neighbourhoods and refugee camps where it is believed hostages, 20 of whom are believed to be alive, are being held. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has not operated in this area for fear of putting the lives of hostages in danger.
The occupation plan is a high-stakes gamble aimed at pressuring Hamas to agree to a ceasefire and hostage release deal, but there is no indication that the militant group will agree to compromise while much of the world is now openly calling for the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Mr Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners regard the occupation of all of Gaza as an essential first step towards renewing Jewish settlement in the enclave.
READ MORE
IDF chief of staff Lieut Gen Eyal Zamir opposes the occupation of the remaining 25 per cent of Gaza and reportedly said in a security discussion on Tuesday: “The operation is a mistake and will endanger the hostages.”
He advocated a more limited manoeuvre, under which Israeli troops would surround but not occupy Gaza City and the central camps, with military incursions taking place when deemed necessary.
[ Binyamin Netanyahu signals Israel’s intent for military to seize all of GazaOpens in new window ]
A number of right-wing legislators called on Zamir to resign but ahead of Thursday night’s meeting he said the military would “continue to express its position without fear”.
“We are not dealing with theory,” he stressed. “We are dealing with lives on the line, with state security, and doing so while looking straight into the eyes of our soldiers and citizens. We will no longer allow containment of the threats. We will thwart threats as they emerge and continue to act to achieve our goals. We intend to defeat and collapse Hamas – we will continue to act with the hostages in our sights, and do everything to return them.”
The Israeli occupation plan would require a significant surge in humanitarian aid. US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told Fox News that the American-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), tasked with distributing food across the Gaza Strip, would “scale up the number of distribution sites up to 16, and begin to operate in as much as 24 hours a day”.
The GHF distributes food at four sites across Gaza, operating within limited hours each day.
Israel facilitated the establishment of the GHF sites in May after blocking the entry of all food, medicine and other goods for 2½ months. Israeli and US officials said a new system was needed to prevent Hamas from siphoning off humanitarian aid.
The UN, which has delivered aid to hundreds of distribution points across Gaza, 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.
The UN human rights office said last week that some 1,400 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.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents most of the families of the 50 hostages held in Gaza, issued a statement ahead of the security cabinet meeting calling on Zamir to oppose any military action that could pose a risk to the lives of those being held in the Gaza Strip.
“You are the supreme commander, do not agree to risk our loved ones,” the statement called on Zamir.
They also claimed that 80 per cent of the Israeli public supports a deal that would return the hostages and end the war in Gaza, and that “any other decision would be inhumane and prove disastrous for the hostages and Israel”.
