Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced plans for Israel to take full military control of the Gaza Strip before handing it over to Arab forces that would “govern it properly,” in comments that signal a major escalation of the 22-month conflict.
Speaking in a Fox News interview, Netanyahu said Israel intends to control the entire 26-mile Strip but does not want to keep or govern the territory permanently.
“We intend to,” Netanyahu said when asked if Israel would take control of the entire Gaza Strip. “We don’t want to keep it. We want to have a security perimeter. We don’t want to govern it. We don’t want to be there as a governing body.”
Security Meeting Tonight
Netanyahu is expected to hold a crucial meeting with security officials on Thursday evening to discuss a possible expansion of Israel’s military operation in Gaza following the breakdown of ceasefire talks last month.
The meeting, scheduled to start at 4 pm BST and last two hours, could result in an order for the full reoccupation of Gaza for the first time since Israel withdrew soldiers and settlers two decades ago.
Such a move would be aimed at boosting Israel’s security but is fraught with humanitarian and diplomatic risks. It is not clear if the meeting will lead to any immediate decision.
Arab Forces to Take Control
The Israeli leader outlined his vision for Gaza’s future governance, saying: “We want to hand it over to Arab forces that will govern it properly, without threatening us, and [to give] Gazans a good life.”
Netanyahu emphasised that removing Hamas from political power in the Strip was a top priority.
“We intend to in order to ensure our security, remove Hamas from there, enable all the population to be free of Hamas and to pass it to civilian governance that is not Hamas nor anyone advocating the destruction of Israel,” he said.
He added that the goal is “to liberate ourselves and the people of Gaza from the awful terror of Hamas.”
Hamas Refuses to Disarm
The armed group has previously said it will not agree to disarm until a sovereign Palestinian state is established, creating a fundamental impasse in negotiations.
The announcement comes after countries including Canada and France announced plans to recognise a Palestinian state, whilst the UK said it would do so if Israel did not meet certain conditions by September.
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the matter of taking over Gaza was “really up to Israel.
Ceasefire Talks Collapse
Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, mediated by the US, to reach a ceasefire and a hostage deal broke down two weeks ago after both sides continued to disagree on key issues.
The latest round of negotiations in Qatar collapsed over disagreements on a permanent ceasefire, Israeli troop withdrawal, and aid distribution. US envoy Steve Witkoff described Hamas as showing “a lack of desire” in response to the latest proposal.
Israel and the US withdrew their negotiating teams from Qatar last week, with Washington blaming Hamas for negotiating in “bad faith.”
Current Military Control
The Israel Defence Forces currently controls approximately 75 per cent of the Gaza Strip. Under the proposed plan, the military would be expected to occupy the remaining territory as well, bringing the entire enclave under Israeli control.
Israeli media reports quoted a senior official close to Netanyahu as saying: “The die is cast – we are going for a full occupation of the Gaza Strip.”
The reports suggest there would be “operations even in areas where hostages are being held,” raising concerns about the safety of the remaining captives.
Opposition and Concerns
Opinion polls show that most Israelis want the war to end in a deal that would see the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas-led Palestinian militants.
The Hostages Families Forum, which represents captives held in Gaza, urged military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir to oppose widening the war and the government to accept a deal that would bring the war to an end and free the remaining hostages.
The mother of one hostage urged people on Thursday to take to the streets to voice their opposition to expanding the campaign.
Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that the military would carry out the government’s decisions until all war objectives were achieved.
International Response
The UN has called reports about a possible expansion of Israel’s military operations in Gaza “deeply alarming” if true.
Hamas official Osama Hamdan on Monday accused the United States and other Western countries of turning a blind eye to Israeli atrocities, saying Netanyahu’s government bore “full responsibility” for the lives of the captives.
More than 60,930 Palestinians, including at least 18,430 children, have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, according to Gaza health authorities.
Hostage Crisis Continues
Recent videos of Israeli hostages Evyatar David, 24, and Rom Braslavski, 21, trapped in Gaza sparked uproar in Israel and renewed calls for their immediate return after more than 670 days in captivity.
Israeli leaders have long insisted that Hamas be disarmed and have no future role in a demilitarised Gaza and that the hostages be freed.
The idea of Israeli forces thrusting into areas they do not already hold in the enclave has generated alarm in Israel, pushed especially by far-right ministers in Netanyahu’s coalition.
As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens and diplomatic efforts stall, the coming hours could prove crucial in determining whether the conflict escalates further or if alternative paths to peace can be found.
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Image Credit:
This is a licensed photograph used in its original form (not cropped):
- Benjamin Netanyahu – Description: Benjamin Netanyahu (51111961984).jpg, depicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a joint press briefing with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III. The photograph was taken on 12 April 2021 at 08:14 by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jack Sanders / U.S. Secretary of Defense. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0).
