DaysofPal- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet have approved a significant expansion of military operations in Gaza, including a potential plan to occupy the entire Gaza Strip.
According to Israeli public broadcaster Kan, the cabinet’s decision puts into question the possibility of lifting the two-month blockade on Gaza. Netanyahu, in a video posted on Telegram, vowed that Israel would secure a “complete victory” in Gaza, asserting that the operation would end “decisively.” However, sources within the Israeli military suggest that this intensified offensive could escalate to a full occupation of Gaza.
“The plan will include, among other things, the conquest of the Gaza Strip and the holding of the territories, moving the Gaza population south for their protection,” an unnamed Israeli official told Reuters.
These developments are consistent with reports suggesting that the ultimate goal may be to seize and permanently occupy the entire Gaza enclave.
The Israeli government is continuing to promote a proposal initially put forward by former U.S. President Donald Trump. The plan involves the voluntary departure of Palestinians from Gaza, a move that has sparked significant concern among international observers and humanitarian groups.
The Israeli cabinet is currently debating modifications to the way aid is sent to Gaza. According to The Times of Israel, the war cabinet has approved plans to enlist international organizations and private security contractors to distribute food boxes to families in Gaza, with Israeli soldiers providing an outer layer of security.
A coordinating group of United Nations (UN) and other international organizations, including the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT), issued a statement rejecting the plan.
The HCT called it “dangerous” and warned that it would “contravene fundamental humanitarian principles.” The UN and its partners argued that the plan was designed to “reinforce control over life-sustaining items as a pressure tactic,” effectively using humanitarian aid as leverage in the ongoing military strategy.
“The proposal would drive civilians into militarized zones to collect rations, a violation of humanitarian law that endangers lives and undermines impartiality,” the HCT said in its statement. The coalition also confirmed that the UN would not participate in any aid delivery under these conditions.
Israeli officials have stated that the expanded ground invasion would not begin until after U.S. President Joe Biden’s anticipated diplomatic visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates from May 13 to 16. Some reports suggest that the timing of the invasion may be tied to diplomatic considerations as the U.S. seeks to manage regional tensions.
However, the plan’s approval has not been without significant internal criticism. The families of Israeli captives held in Gaza, many of whom are hostages taken during recent escalations, have condemned the expansion of the offensive.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum issued a statement calling the new strategy the “Smotrich-Netanyahu Plan,” referring to the far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Prime Minister Netanyahu. The forum argued that the plan risks “sacrificing” the hostages, suggesting that the government’s focus on military objectives may come at the expense of securing the safe return of Israeli captives.
“The plan approved by the cabinet deserves to be called the ‘Smotrich-Netanyahu Plan’ for sacrificing the hostages,” the statement read, accusing Netanyahu and Smotrich of prioritizing military gains over the lives of Israeli citizens.
In a sharply critical response, Yair Golan, Major-General of Israel’s army reserve and leader of the opposition Democrats party, denounced the decision to expand military operations in Gaza.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Golan argued that the move was not aimed at maintaining Israel’s security but at “saving Netanyahu and the extremist government.”
“The actual occupation of the Strip in the name of ‘government survival’ will cost us blood—in the lives of the captives, in the lives of male and female soldiers, in exhaustion, and most importantly, in losing our way,” Golan said.
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