JERUSALEM (BN24) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Thursday that Israel intends to seize complete control of the Gaza Strip to destroy Hamas, announcing plans to eventually transfer administration of the territory to friendly Arab forces as his Security Cabinet discussed expanding the 22-month military offensive.
Netanyahu’s statement represents a significant escalation in Israel’s war aims and would put the lives of countless Palestinians and approximately 20 remaining Israeli hostages at greater risk while further isolating Israel internationally. Israel already controls roughly three-quarters of the devastated territory through its prolonged military campaign.
The prime minister outlined his vision during a Fox News interview conducted ahead of the Security Cabinet meeting, stating that Israel would “take control of all of Gaza” to ensure security and remove Hamas from power. Netanyahu emphasized that Israel did not intend permanent occupation, saying the country wanted to establish a security perimeter before handing control to Arab forces capable of governing without threatening Israeli security.
“We don’t want to keep it. We want to have a security perimeter,” Netanyahu said. “We want to hand it over to Arab forces that will govern it properly without threatening us and giving Gazans a good life.”
The Security Cabinet convened Thursday evening to discuss the proposal, with meetings expected to continue into the night as Israeli officials weighed the controversial expansion of military operations. An Israeli official, speaking anonymously pending formal decisions, indicated that approved measures would be implemented gradually to increase pressure on Hamas.
Military leadership and hostage families have expressed strong opposition to the expanded offensive plans. Israel’s military chief of staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, warned against occupying Gaza, arguing such action would endanger remaining hostages and strain military resources after nearly two years of continuous warfare.
Families of hostages held in Gaza demonstrated outside the Security Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, fearing escalation could doom their loved ones. Former top Israeli security officials have similarly opposed the plan, warning of a potential military quagmire with limited strategic benefits.
The proposed expansion comes as Israel’s air and ground war has killed over 61,000 Palestinians according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, displaced most of the population, destroyed vast areas of infrastructure, and caused severe widespread hunger throughout the territory. The ministry, staffed by medical professionals who maintain detailed casualty records, is considered by the United Nations and independent experts as providing the most reliable casualty estimates.
At least 42 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes and shootings across southern Gaza on Thursday alone, according to local hospitals. Among the victims, 13 were seeking aid in an Israeli military zone where United Nations aid convoys regularly face overwhelming crowds of desperate people and looters.
The humanitarian crisis has intensified around aid distribution sites, with hundreds killed in recent weeks while attempting to reach assistance locations. Doctors Without Borders published a scathing report denouncing the distribution system operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an American contractor backed by Israel.
“This is not aid. It is orchestrated killing,” the medical charity stated, reporting treatment of 1,380 people injured near distribution sites between June and July, including 147 with gunshot wounds and 41 children among the casualties.
The organization documented hundreds more suffering injuries from chaotic food scrambles, including head trauma, suffocation, and severe eye injuries from pepper spray used at close range. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation rejected the accusations as “false and disgraceful,” claiming the medical charity was amplifying Hamas disinformation campaigns.
Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people and killed approximately 1,200 during the October 7, 2023 attack that triggered the current war. While most hostages have been released through ceasefires and negotiated deals, 50 remain in Gaza with around 20 believed alive by Israeli intelligence.
Yehuda Cohen, father of Israeli soldier Nimrod Cohen held in Gaza, criticized Netanyahu from a boat carrying hostage relatives toward Gaza’s maritime border. Cohen accused the prime minister of prolonging the war to satisfy extremist coalition partners who advocate escalating military operations, relocating Gaza’s population, and reestablishing Jewish settlements dismantled in 2005.
“Netanyahu is working only for himself,” Cohen said during the maritime demonstration.
The displacement crisis has reached catastrophic proportions, with Palestinians bracing for additional misery as military operations potentially expand. Maysaa al-Heila, living in a displacement camp, expressed the desperation felt throughout the territory.
“There is nothing left to occupy,” al-Heila said. “There is no Gaza left.”
The proposed escalation threatens to deepen Israel’s international isolation as global criticism mounts over the humanitarian catastrophe and massive civilian casualties. The plan faces significant opposition from military leadership, hostage families, and former security officials who question its strategic value and warn of extended occupation challenges that could trap Israel in an indefinite commitment to Gaza’s governance and security.
