According to media reports, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu wants to take over the entire Gaza Strip. Operations are also expected in areas where hostages are suspected. Israel's security cabinet is scheduled to meet this week.

According to media reports, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to fully occupy the Gaza Strip. He reportedly told cabinet ministers that he intends to secure the backing of the cabinet and military leadership in the coming days. The news portal ynetnews.com quoted an official close to him as saying:"The die is cast—we intend to fully occupy the Gaza Strip."

The TV channel Channel 12 and the Jerusalem Post newspaper also reported, citing government officials, that the cabinet intends to adopt an"updated strategy" for the Israeli armed forces on Tuesday. According to the report, military operations are also planned in areas where Israeli hostages are suspected.

There has been no official confirmation of the plans yet. However, the Palestinian Authority called on the international community to intervene to prevent the implementation of such plans, reports the AFP news agency.

Hamas not ready to negotiate, according to Netanyahu

However, the report by ynetnews.com speculates that these alleged plans could also be part of a negotiating tactic to put pressure on the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas in light of the stalled talks on a ceasefire and the release of the hostages.

Netanyahu himself had previously stated publicly only that he would convene the security cabinet this week to decide on the next steps in the sealed-off and extensively destroyed Mediterranean coastal strip. In a video message on Sunday, he explained that, in his view, the Islamist Hamas was not prepared to negotiate a solution.

Israel currently controls three-quarters of the area

The Israeli armed forces currently control around 75 percent of the coastal area, which is only slightly larger than Munich in area – and with an estimated two million inhabitants, is even more densely populated than the German city.

The hostages are believed to be in those parts of the city that the Israeli military has not yet penetrated and that remain under Hamas control. Months of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas to bring about a ceasefire and release the last hostages—about 20 of whom are still alive, according to Israeli sources—have so far been unsuccessful.

Army leadership views complete occupation critically

The Israeli military has spoken out against a complete occupation of the Gaza Strip in the past. The Times of Israel described the army leadership's concerns, saying that the removal of all Hamas tunnels and bunkers could take years. They also argued that hostages could be endangered and killed if Israeli troops approached the sites of their captivity.

According to media reports, however, Netanyahu would now take this risk."There will be military operations even in areas where hostages are being held," ynetnews.com quoted the official as saying."If the Chief of Staff does not agree with this, then he should resign."

According to reports, Chief of Staff Ejal Zamir has had heated discussions with ultra-right ministers at recent security cabinet meetings, calling for the capture of the entire Gaza Strip, the deportation of the Palestinian population to other countries, and the establishment of Jewish settlements.

Former intelligence officers call for more pressure on Netanyahu

In a letter published on Monday night, hundreds of former Israeli security officials, including former intelligence chiefs, called on US President Donald Trump to increase pressure on Netanyahu to end the Gaza war.

"It is our professional assessment that Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel," the letter stated. The 550 signatories called on Trump to persuade Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire. Recent statements issued by Hamas had caused shock and outrage.

The current war in the Gaza Strip was triggered by the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed, thousands injured, and several hundred abducted by terrorists.

The Gaza Strip was first occupied by Israel after the Six-Day War in 1967. Following the Oslo II Accords signed between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1995, the Palestinian Authority assumed self-rule over the Gaza Strip. The Islamist terrorist organization Hamas has ruled the area since 2007. According to UN Security Council Resolution 2334, adopted in 2016, Israel is prohibited from establishing settlements in the territories it occupies.