Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided that his forces should occupy the whole of Gaza, media reports said on Monday, amid mounting criticism of the dire humanitarian situation in the coastal territory.

Netanyahu reportedly plans to consult his cabinet and military leadership in the coming days to muster support for the plan.

News portal Ynetnews.com quoted a senior official said to be close to Netanyahu as saying: “The die is cast, we are going for a full occupation of the Gaza Strip”.

The Israeli prime minister himself said earlier that he was planning to convene the Security Cabinet to discuss further actions in Gaza, as the conflict nears 22 months.

In a video message published on Sunday,Netanyahu said Palestinian extremist group Hamas refuses to agree to a negotiated solution.