Netanyahu allegedly wants to capture the entire Gaza Strip

The Israeli news website "ynet" quoted senior officials close to Netanyahu as saying: "The die is cast - we intend to occupy the Gaza Strip completely." However, the report speculates that this could also be part of a negotiating tactic to put pressure on the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas in view of the stalled talks on a ceasefire and the release of hostages.

Netanyahu himself had previously only said that he would convene the security cabinet this week to decide on how to proceed in the sealed-off and extensively destroyed coastal strip. "I understand exactly what Hamas wants. They don't want a deal," the head of government said in a video message. He is now even more determined to free the hostages, eliminate Hamas and ensure that the Gaza Strip will never again pose a threat to Israel.

Army leadership has reservations about occupying the whole of Gaza

Israel's military currently controls around 75 percent of the Gaza Strip. The removal of all Hamas tunnels and bunkers could take years, according to the "Times of Israel", describing the army leadership's concerns about a full occupation. The hostages could also be in danger and killed by their captors if Israeli troops approach the places where they are being held. According to Israeli estimates, there are currently 50 hostages still held by Hamas, 20 of whom are believed to be alive.

Despite the military's concerns, Netanyahu has told ministers that he will seek the cabinet's support for a plan to completely occupy Gaza, the Times of Israel reported. The news site "ynet" quoted an official as saying: "If the Chief of General Staff (Ejal Zamir) does not agree with this, then he should resign." According to reports, Zamir has had heated discussions at past security cabinet meetings with ultra-right-wing ministers calling for the seizure of the entire Gaza Strip, the deportation of the Palestinian population to other countries and the establishment of Jewish settlements.

Former army spokesman sharply critical

Netanyahu, who is the subject of a corruption trial, is dependent on his far-right coalition partners for his political survival. In response to reports that he has now decided to take all of Gaza, Israel's former army spokesman Peter Lerner wrote on Platform X: "This is political survival masquerading as national security. Netanyahu is blindly charging ahead, dragging our sons and daughters into an endless quagmire." With every day that the war drags on, the hostages are in greater danger. He prays that Zamir "has the courage to oppose this absurd plan, which is not directed against Hamas. It is directed against Israel," he wrote.

The Times of Israel wrote that it was unclear what a complete occupation of the largely destroyed coastal area would mean for the approximately two million Palestinian residents and the aid organizations working there. According to the UN, there is a threat of famine in Gaza. For some days now, Israel has been allowing more aid supplies into the sealed-off area. However, many of the aid supplies are not reaching those who need them most.

UN: Most of the aid supplies are being looted

In the chaos that prevails after 22 months of war, a large proportion is already being looted on the way. According to UN figures, around 2,300 of around 2,600 trucks have been intercepted since May 19, "either peacefully by hungry people or violently by armed actors". A complete conquest of the coastal strip could significantly exacerbate the situation of the people who are already living in unbearable conditions in the area.

The US broadcaster CNN reported that it is unclear whether Netanyahu's approach is in line with that of US special envoy Steve Witkoff. According to media reports, Witkoff said at a meeting with relatives of the hostages in Tel Aviv at the weekend that the plan was not to extend the war, but to end it. Instead of initially only negotiating a ceasefire and the gradual release of hostages, US President Donald Trump is now aiming for a comprehensive deal that would end the war and return all remaining hostages at once, according to reports.

Concerns in Lebanon about a new war

Meanwhile, there is also concern in Lebanon about a new war with Israel. A ceasefire has been in place between the Jewish state and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia since the end of November. However, the Israeli military continues to attack its northern neighbor on an almost daily basis. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, another person was killed at the beginning of the week. According to the Israeli military, it was a "Hezbollah terrorist".

A cabinet meeting is scheduled for today in Lebanon. It is to discuss the control of all weapons by the Lebanese state and the associated disarmament of Hezbollah. Hezbollah has so far refused to agree to a binding disarmament with a concrete timetable.

There are fears that Lebanon could slide back into a political crisis if members of Hezbollah - which is also a political party - were to leave the government. The state is under pressure to enforce the disarmament of the militia. This is a key demand of Israel and the USA. Israeli soldiers are still stationed at five posts in the south of Lebanon.