Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly told the military to prepare for a full takeover of the Gaza Strip, including areas where hostages are being held.
A source in the Prime Minister’s Office told The Jerusalem Post on Monday that the message had been passed on to IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir saying: ‘If this does not suit you, then you should resign.’
It comes as Netanyahu prepares to meet with top officials to decide on the next steps in Gaza and what to do about the remaining hostages.
An Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post: ‘The prime minister is considering all available options regarding the next steps.’
The official added that US President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff had flown back to Washington for talks.
The official said: ‘A broad consensus that a deal must include all the hostages.’
Hamas, however, has brushed off talks of an Israeli takeover.
The group said: ‘Israel’s threats are repetitive, worthless, and have no influence on our decisions.’
But a political analyst with Channel 12 quoted an unnamed official saying: ‘Hamas won’t release more hostages without total surrender, and we won’t surrender.
‘If we don’t act now, the hostages will starve to death and Gaza will remain under Hamas’s control.’
According to reports, the prime minister used the phrase ‘occupation of the Strip’ in private conversations while describing his intentions for Gaza.
If Netanyahu’s plans are successful, the Israeli military could extend its reach across the whole region, according to local reports. It currently holds 75 percent of the Strip.
He is now set to take the plans to his cabinet to seek their backing for the plan.
According to The Times of Israel, the IDF is against the proposal and has said it would take a significant amount of time to clear infrastructure belonging to Hamas.
Ceasefire talks in Doha between Hamas, Israel, and international mediators that spanned months have broken down.
Hamas has demanded that hundreds of trucks of aid be allowed into Gaza before it will return to negotiations, even though countries and charities are already trying to send help into the Strip without giving it to Hamas.
Over the weekend, Hamas released videos showing hostages looking thin and weak, which they attributed to famine across Gaza.
The Red Cross has agreed to send additional assistance directly to the hostages, working in conjunction with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
But Hamas says the aid will only be allowed through if Israel opens the corridors permanently and stops ‘all forms of air traffic’ during the deliveries.
The United Nations said in July that more than half of the population is now at risk of famine.
