Reports indicate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s team is planning to defeat Hamas by seizing control of significant areas within Gaza.
According to the Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with the matter, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his national security team are allegedly planning a large-scale ground offensive aimed at capturing considerable territory in Gaza.
These alleged plans follow renewed Israeli airstrikes on Gaza after the temporary truce between Israel and Hamas, brokered by the US, Qatar, and Egypt, concluded on March 1. The ceasefire had resulted in a partial Israeli withdrawal and limited hostage releases. Following its end, both sides have blamed each other for the failure to reach a renewed agreement.
The WSJ reported on Sunday that Israeli forces have reportedly moved into northern Gaza, areas near Rafah, and the central Netzarim corridor, signaling the beginning of a campaign to retake and hold territory previously vacated under the ceasefire.
The report suggests that Netanyahu’s new advisors are advocating for a strategy of defeating Hamas militarily before pursuing any political resolution to the conflict in Gaza.
Last week, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that Israel would continue to seize territory in Gaza as long as Hamas holds hostages. Furthermore, Israeli officials have reportedly supported the complete destruction of Hamas’s remaining infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon caches, even if it takes years and results in more civilian casualties, according to the WSJ.
Reportedly, the new Israeli approach is influenced by US President Donald Trump’s order to increase ammunition deliveries to Israel and his administration’s urging of Netanyahu to aggressively confront Hamas.
When announcing the resumption of ground operations in Gaza last week, Netanyahu’s office declared that “Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength.”
It also stated that the new offensive is a response to Hamas’s “refusal to release hostages” and its rejection of proposals to extend the truce.
Reuters reports that Hamas has accused Israel of “unilaterally” ending the ceasefire.
Palestinian authorities claimed on Sunday that over 50,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the conflict began approximately 18 months ago.
The war between Hamas and Israel began with Hamas’s surprise cross-border attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people and the capture of approximately 250 hostages.
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