The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering occupying the entire Gaza Strip. According to Israeli media, he will convene the security cabinet on Tuesday to make a decision on this plan.
Netanyahu confirmed on Monday that he wants to convene the cabinet this week to discuss how the army can achieve its goals in Gaza. According to him, those goals include “defeating the enemy, releasing hostages and ensuring that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel.”
According to Israeli media, Netanyahu wants to order the army to take the entire Gaza Strip, including the areas where the hostages are being held. The Jerusalem Post is even more assertive. According to that newspaper, the Prime Minister’s office has already given the order. The message to the chief of staff of the armed forces would have been: “If you don’t agree with this, you should resign.”
At the moment, Israel has almost complete control of the eastern half of the Gaza Strip. There is currently an evacuation order for residents. Only a part on the west coast and a part in the north near Gaza City is not occupied by the Israeli army.
International pressure on Netanyahu is increasing
Netanyahu is under international pressure due to the persistent food shortages in Gaza. The international food watchdog IPC warned last week that the “worst-case scenario” is unfolding in Gaza due to widespread hunger and malnutrition.
In the meantime, the Prime Minister has imposed daily combat pauses in three areas in Gaza, so that the trucks with relief supplies can cross the border. So far, this has only been possible on a limited scale. People are still dying every day while searching for help and the number of deaths from starvation is increasing. This is evident from figures from the Palestinian Ministry of Health and aid organizations on the ground.
Netanyahu is also under increasing pressure in his own country, because he has not yet succeeded in bringing back all the hostages and he has not succeeded in destroying Hamas.