The Israeli Security Cabinet unanimously approved a plan on Monday to expand its ongoing military campaign in the Gaza Strip and occupy territory within the enclave.
In a statement as reported by Anadolu, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the cabinet approved an "operational plan" proposed by the military chief Eyal Zamir to "defeat Hamas" and bring back Israeli prisoners held in Gaza.
According to the statement, the plan requires the military to "conquer Gaza and control the area."
Later, in a recorded address uploaded to X, Netanyahu said, "We met late into the night on Sunday. The cabinet decided to launch an intensive military operation in Gaza, based on the recommendation of the Chief of Staff (Eyal Zamir)."
Netanyahu stated that the military chief's recommendation aims to defeat Hamas, a goal that he believes will also help secure the release of Israeli hostages. "I agree with him on this," Netanyahu added.
His statement aligns with recent remarks from senior ministers, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a right-wing extremist figure who previously stated that annihilating Hamas is a higher priority than freeing the hostages.
Netanyahu also mentioned a plan to expel millions of Palestinians from Gaza, claiming that the plan aims to "protect" civilian residents, although he did not provide further details.
"We have spoken a lot about this issue, and we will not discuss it now," he added. Signaling a shift from previous military operations, Netanyahu emphasized that Israel will not conduct a temporary ground operation only to later withdraw.
"We will not enter Gaza and then withdraw as in the past. We will not send reserve forces to temporarily control the area and then leave it, only conducting sporadic attacks on what remains. That will not happen," he said.
"What we plan is the opposite," although he did not specify what that entails. Israel's Channel 12 stated that the plan also includes forcibly relocating Palestinian residents from northern Gaza to the south.
Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said the Israeli plan will help accelerate the relocation of Palestinians out of Gaza based on President Donald Trump's plan.
Karhi claimed that the "migration" of Palestinian residents from Gaza is a "solution" for the enclave, as reported by the public broadcasting corporation KAN.
There is "political activity" for Israel in seeking countries that can accept Palestinian residents from Gaza, he added.
On February 4, Trump stated that the US would "take over" and "own" Gaza, describing it as a "totally decimated" area. The idea has been rejected by the Arab world and many other countries, which stated that it is tantamount to ethnic cleansing.
There has been no direct comment from Palestine regarding Israel's plan.
Israeli estimates show that 59 hostages are still in Gaza, with 24 believed to still be alive. In contrast, over 9,500 Palestinian residents are still imprisoned in Israel under harsh conditions, including reports of torture, hunger, and medical neglect, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights organizations.
Over 52,500 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in brutal Israeli attacks since October 2023, most of them women and children.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants in November for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces charges of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its actions in the enclave.
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