Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his security cabinet are expected to meet on August 7 to discuss and possibly approve expanding the war against Hamas and its allies in the Gaza Strip. If the initiative is approved, the Israeli government is expected to order the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to take complete control of the Gaza Strip.
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Bottom of FormOn August 4, Israeli media reported that Netanyahu had decided that Israel would occupy the Gaza Strip to achieve its primary war goals of defeating Hamas and rescuing the remaining 50 hostages held by terrorist groups in the territory.
“The die is cast, we are going for a full occupation of the Gaza Strip,” a senior official told Ynet News. The source also preemptively warned the Israeli military’s top official, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, of the consequences of not complying with the order. “There will also be activity in areas where hostages are being held. If this doesn’t suit the IDF Chief of Staff, he can resign.”
The potential approval of the expansion of the war follows the collapse of ceasefire talks in Doha that were centered on a US-backed proposal for a 60-day truce between Israel and Hamas. Under the plan, during that period, humanitarian aid would have been flown into Gaza, and Hamas would have released half of the hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
In response to reports about the IDF possibly occupying the Gaza Strip, an unnamed Hamas official warned that the move would expose the hostages to “unprecedented danger,” the Saudi news channel Al Hadath reported. The unidentified official’s statement adds to a previous warning by Hamas that it would execute hostages if the IDF launched a rescue operation.
The Israeli government has been under growing domestic pressure to end the war. On August 3, 19 former Israeli defense chiefs issued a joint statement calling for an end to the conflict and the return of the hostages, The Times of Israel reported. “We are a year, much more than a year, past the point where we could have ended the war with a sufficient operational achievement,” Amos Malka, the former head of military intelligence, stated.
In addition to the criticism by former defense officials, the IDF has signaled that it is suffering attrition from the multi-front war that has lasted nearly 22 months. On July 20, Army Radio reported that Zamir ordered a reduction in the number of reserve forces deployed to active combat zones in Gaza, Lebanon, the West Bank, and other fronts by 30 percent.
Both Israel and Hamas have signaled that they want a ceasefire. However, the biggest obstacle to ending the war has centered on Hamas abandoning its arms.
Israel has stipulated that it will accept a ceasefire deal if it includes Hamas’s disarmament. The Arab League supported this call on July 29, when it issued a statement saying that Hamas must disarm and give up power.
For its part, Hamas has refused to concede to the demand, continuing a longstanding policy of not relinquishing its arms. On August 2, the group reiterated this policy, saying it would only give up its weapons after a sovereign Palestinian state was established.
The US has shown little indication that it will oppose a decision by Israel to launch a military operation to occupy the Gaza Strip. When asked on August 5 about the Israeli decision, President Donald Trump stated, “I really cannot say. That will pretty much be up to Israel.”
