Israel, in Face of Hamas’s Refusal To Release the Hostages It Is Holding, Decides To ‘Occupy’ Gaza Strip

Prime Minister Netanyahu is opting for a full occupation of the Gaza Strip, setting up a possible confrontation with the Israel Defense Force’s chief of staff. The decision, already conveyed to Israeli reporters by the premier’s office, is pending approval by the cabinet on Tuesday. The IDF chief, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, is widely believed to oppose full occupation of the Strip, proposing instead a siege of Gaza City and of the Hamas centers in Gaza where the 20 living hostages are known to be held. Fear of inflicting further harm on the hostages has until now prevented the army from entering these areas. “We’re going to occupy the Strip, the decision has been made,” an unidentified senior government source told N-12 news. The source explained Mr. Natnayahu’s rationale as: “Hamas won’t release more hostages without total surrender, and we won’t surrender. If we don’t act now, the hostages will starve to death and Gaza will remain under Hamas’s control.”The reported decision follows a weekend in which Hamas released horrifying videos of two starved Israeli hostages, Rom Braslavski and Evyatar David, which has enraged the public in Israel and beyond. Thousands of Israelis protested over the weekend, calling for ending the war in return for hostage release. Others called, instead, to intensify the war efforts. Mr. Netanayahu only used the word “occupy” in talks with some of his cabinet members — those who have long pushed for full occupation of the Strip — but not with others, according to Kann news. The station is reporting that Mr. Netanayhu has used that word in relation to Gaza for the first time.“I can’t tell whether he said it to calm down some of his right wing partners, or if this is something that he has already decided on,” Kann’s Suleiman Maswadeh said. Other reporters speculated that the push for full occupation might be part of a campaign to pressure Hamas to return to negotiations over the hostages’ release. Perhaps settling the debate, Mr. Netanyahu’s office told the Jerusalem Post late Monday that a decision has already been made to instruct the army to enter all areas in Gaza. The premier’s office also “conveyed the message to the Chief of Staff: If this does not suit you, then you should resign,” the Post reports. Speaking to the cabinet at the beginning of Israel’s work week on Sunday, Mr. Natanyahu publicly repeated what since the start of the war he has defined as its goals: “The defeat of the enemy, return of all hostages, and assuring Gaza will never again threaten Israel.” Later in the week, he said, he will convene the cabinet “to instruct the IDF on how to achieve these three goals — all of them, with no exception.”Mr. Netanyahu’s opponents have long argued that the three goals are incompatible. In the last few days a group of several former senior security officials called for ending the war and placing the release of the remaining 50 hostages, including 20 known to be alive, as Israel’s top goal.Many in Israel claim that most of the military moves in Gaza have already been achieved, as Hamas’s top command echelon has been decimated and its arsenal largely diminished. They argue that the time has come for negotiations that would reverse Israel’s ever-growing international isolation, and end the agony of the hostages and their families. Right-wing cabinet members disagree. In a cabinet meeting last week, the finance minister, Betzalel Smotrich, and the internal security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, proposed entering all Gaza areas where the IDF has to date refrained from operations. General Zamir reportedly said that occupying Gaza City and the central camps would in effect amount to a death sentence for the living hostages.The debate quickly descended into personal attacks. “I’m already missing Herzi Halevi,” Mr. Smotrich said, referring to General Zamir’s predecessor at the top of the IDF, who was pushed aside by Mr. Netanayahu’s right flank, rather than extending the general’s term.

Israel, in Face of Hamas’s Refusal To Release the Hostages It Is Holding, Decides To ‘Occupy’ Gaza Strip

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