Israel weighs up full Gaza takeover despite concerns of armed forces

Israel is weighing up an expansion of its armed presence in Gaza, despite concern by military chiefs and a majority of the country’s public that the move risks jeopardising the prospect of freeing the remaining hostages held by Hamas.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering whether to deploy the Israel Defence Forces into the 25 per cent of the Palestinian territory not already under its control, according to an Israeli official briefed on the matter, who asked not to be identified discussing sensitive information.

A wider ground offensive will have military and political repercussions for Israel, at home and overseas. Credit: AP

Some Israeli military leaders have expressed reservations, the official said, while the plan would most likely face considerable opposition from international governments fearful of the worsening the humanitarian situation in the strip.

A final decision hasn’t been made, the official said, and Netanyahu plans to convene his decision-making Security Cabinet some time this week to finalise a strategy.

The United Nations on Tuesday called reports of a possible widening of military operations as “deeply alarming” if true.

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UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca told a Security Council meeting that such a move could have “catastrophic consequences” and risk the lives of the remaining hostages in Gaza.

“International law is clear; Gaza is and must remain an integral part of the future Palestinian state,” he said.

Netanyahu held a three-hour security consultation earlier this week, during which the IDF’s chief of staff “presented the options for continuing the military campaign in Gaza”, according to a statement from the prime minister’s office.

“The IDF is prepared to implement any decision made by the security cabinet,” it said.

The deliberations come with Israel under pressure both abroad and at home over its approach to the near two-year long war.

Several international governments have spoken out against the spiralling humanitarian toll on Gaza’s 2 million-plus population, with the United Nations warning of worsening starvation due to Israeli restrictions on food supplies and the devastation wrought by the conflict.

US President Donald Trump demurred when asked about Israel’s deliberations at the White House on Tuesday, saying his focus was helping to distribute aid to Gaza.

“I know Israel is going to help us with that in terms of distribution, and also money. We also have, the Arab states are going to help us with that in terms of the money and possibly distribution. So that’s what I’m focused on,” Trump told reporters at a press conference. “As far as the rest of it, I really can’t say – that’s going to be pretty much up to Israel.”

Israel agreed to better facilitate aid distribution in Gaza by UN-affiliated agencies and NGOs at the end of July, and on Tuesday said it would further ease commercial access to boost deliveries of food and sanitary equipment, albeit under strict security vetting.

Palestinians flock to an aid distribution point set up in the Netzarim Corridor in hopes of receiving limited humanitarian aid in Deir al Balah, Gaza.Credit: Getty

Domestically, Netanyahu has lost majority public support for a war that has exhausted military reserves and failed to free all the Hamas-held hostages, according to an Institute of National Security Studies poll published this week.

The Islamist group still holds 50 of those kidnapped in the October 2023 attacks that triggered the war, of whom 20 are believed to be alive.

Tension over new offensive

The military’s reservations on stepping up operations in Gaza, which local media, including Ynet, said are led by IDF chief of the general staff Eyal Zamir, has created tension in both Israel’s government and the opposition. Defence Minister Israel Katz said the military should implement political policies and that he will make sure “that is the case”.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is said to favour a full military occupation of Gaza.Credit: Bloomberg

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, a hardline member of Netanyahu’s coalition, said on X that Zamir should be “obliged to state clearly that he will fully comply with the directives of the political echelon”.

Opposition leader Benny Gantz, a former IDF chief, called the attack on Zamir “reckless”.

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So far, no date has been set for a security cabinet meeting.

Science Minister Gila Gamliel, a member of the cabinet, said the discussion had originally been set for Tuesday but had repeatedly been deferred. She said there was still time to find an alternative diplomatic solution to ceasefire talks, which stalled last month.

“At these very moments there’s a chance, albeit not as good as before, of success in creating a different platform through the mediators,” Gamliel told Israeli Army Radio.

Trump, whose administration is working alongside Qatar and Egypt in the negotiations, has called for Hamas – designated a terrorist organisation by Washington – to surrender and return the hostages. But the Iran-backed group has shown no sign of capitulating, demanding a full Israeli withdrawal and refusing to disarm.

Israel’s Co-ordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, known as COGAT, said the move to ease the commercial passage of food and goods into Gaza was aimed at “reducing dependence on the collection of aid by the UN and international organisations”. In practice, a limited number of local merchants will be able to import the aid into Gaza and offer it on sale in local markets.

The average number of trucks collected by aid organisations has gone up from about 30 per day in mid-July to 185 by August 2, COGAT said.

Bloomberg, Reuters

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