Israel’s government has approved a plan to seize all of the Gaza Strip and hold control over the territory for an unspecified length of time, officials have revealed.
Government officials said the newly approved offensive plan would move Gaza’s civilian population southward and keep humanitarian aid from falling into the hands of the terrorist group Hamas.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet ministers unanimously approved plans for the new offensive on Monday morning.
It came just hours after it was announced that tens of thousands of reserve soldiers are being called up.
The plan reportedly provides for the “conquering of Gaza” and retaining the territory.
It is expected to only be implemented after President Donald Trump’s visit to the region next week.
Until then, efforts will continue to reach a ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas, Israeli media reported.
The plan has been presented by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir.
It provides for the “conquering of Gaza and holding the territories.”
The IDF will take control of territory in Gaza, move the civilian population toward the south, attack Hamas, and prevent the terror group from taking control of humanitarian aid.
The plan is gradual and focuses at first on a certain, unspecified area within the Strip.
It will then expand to other places, the Kan public broadcaster reported Sunday.
However, the outlet added that the intense fighting was expected to go on for months.
Additionally, the security cabinet approved a proposal to renew aid deliveries into Gaza while overhauling the mechanism in order to minimize the diversion of the goods by Hamas to benefit its operatives.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir was the only one who voted against this proposal.
The aid deliveries will be implemented when the situation in Gaza necessitates it, according to the proposal.
The aid delivery proposal, first reported by The Times of Israel on Friday, would entail the IDF transitioning away from wholesale distribution and warehousing of aid and instead have international organizations and private security contractors hand out boxes of food to individual Gazan families.
According to Israeli and Arab officials familiar with the matter, the IDF would not be directly involved in the distribution of aid.
However, troops would be tasked with providing an outer layer of security for the private contractors and international organizations handing out the assistance.
Israel believes this method will make it harder for Hamas to divert aid to its fighters, the officials said.
Meanwhile, concerns are growing for the hostages still being held by Hamas.
Channel 13 news reported Sunday evening that Chief of Staff Zamir had warned ministers in recent days that Israel “could lose” the hostages in Gaza if it launches a major operation in the Strip.
Terrorists in Gaza are holding 59 hostages, including at least 35 who have been confirmed dead.
They were among 251 abducted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas led over 5,000 terrorists to invade southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and triggering the war.
“In a plan for a full-scale maneuver, we won’t necessarily reach the hostages,” the network quoted Zamir as saying in a meeting.
“Keep in mind that we could lose them.”
Zamir was also quoted as contending that the war’s two goals of defeating Hamas and rescuing the hostages “are problematic in relation to each other.”
Hostages’ families have long argued this.
However, political leaders, including Netanyahu, have insisted that military pressure will aid in reaching a deal for the hostages’ return.
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