Netanyahu Orders Full Occupation of Gaza Strip, Clashes With IDF Leadership Over Hostage Risk
by Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff
(Worthy News) – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to push forward with the full military occupation of the Gaza Strip, including operations in zones where Israeli hostages are believed to be held, according to a senior source in the Prime Minister’s Office who spoke to The Jerusalem Post on Monday. The dramatic shift in policy has set the stage for a potential confrontation with Israel Defense Forces (IDF) leadership, as Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir reportedly voiced objections and was told to resign if he disagrees.
The announcement follows the breakdown of ceasefire-hostage negotiations in Doha, where Hamas demanded hundreds of aid trucks be allowed into Gaza before returning to the table. Hamas also released disturbing footage of visibly malnourished hostages, claiming they are starving due to widespread famine in the Strip. While the Red Cross and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation have tried to increase aid delivery, Hamas insists that assistance will only reach the hostages if Israel opens permanent humanitarian corridors and suspends all air operations during aid transfers.
Netanyahu, in private meetings with ministers, reportedly used the term “occupation of the Strip,” marking a departure from previous strategies. “The die is cast — we are going for a full occupation of the Gaza Strip,” said a senior official close to the Prime Minister. The military currently controls around 75 percent of the territory; the new plan would involve seizing the remaining areas, even where hostages are held — a move the IDF warns could result in executions if captors feel threatened.
The proposed full occupation has divided Israel’s leadership. Defense Minister Israel Katz remains undecided, while others in Netanyahu’s inner circle — including Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir — support the expansion. Opposing voices include Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Mossad chief David Barnea, and Chief of Staff Zamir, who canceled a trip to Washington this week to remain in Israel due to the deepening crisis and his growing responsibilities.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff conveyed to hostage families in Tel Aviv over the weekend that President Donald Trump is now pursuing a comprehensive framework to end the war and secure the release of all hostages — not another temporary deal. “There will be no more partial deals,” a senior U.S. official confirmed, noting that Israel and the U.S. are aligned on the need to disarm Hamas and demilitarize the Gaza Strip completely.
However, analysts caution that Hamas is unlikely to accept such conditions, and hopes for a broader agreement remain dim. Meanwhile, humanitarian conditions in Gaza continue to deteriorate. On Monday, Palestinians rushed to collect airdropped aid in Zawaida, central Gaza, amid ongoing shortages and logistical challenges for international relief agencies.
The war, now entering its second year, began with Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre of over 1,200 Israelis and the abduction of more than 250 individuals. Since then, Israel has killed an estimated 20,000 Hamas fighters and another 1,600 terrorists during the initial assault. Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry claims over 60,000 Palestinians have died or are missing, though the figure remains unverified and includes combatants and civilians alike.
Israel maintains that it continues to take measures to limit civilian casualties and accuses Hamas of using human shields, embedding its operations in civilian infrastructure such as homes, schools, and hospitals. Israeli losses in the campaign have reached 459, including soldiers, police officers, and Defense Ministry contractors.
As Netanyahu prepares to bring the full-occupation plan to a cabinet vote, the future of Gaza — and the fate of the remaining hostages — hangs in a precarious balance.
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