Despite mounting pleas to halt the fighting, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his plan on Sunday, saying it was “the best way to end the war” and that it would allow him to seize control of Gaza City and target the remaining Hamas strongholds.
Over 22 months into the war, which was triggered by Hamas’s historic attack on Israel, the nation is engulfed in a wide rift that pits those calling for a settlement to end the fighting and free the hostages against those who want to see the Palestinian militants defeated once and for all.
Since Netanyahu’s security cabinet revealed preparations to escalate the fight and seize Gaza City, criticism has only become worse.
“This is the best way to end the war, and the best way to end it speedily,” Netanyahu told reporters on Sunday, displaying defiance.
He stated that the next operation would be carried out on “a fairly short timetable” at a press conference in Jerusalem.
In addition to creating safe zones and secure passages to enable civilians to evacuate the area, the operation’s goal is “to dismantle the two remaining Hamas strongholds in Gaza City and the central camps.”
Israel must complete the task and crush Hamas; it has no other option. We have accomplished a lot now. He said that Israel had military control over between 70 and 75 percent of Gaza.
But don’t you think we still have two strongholds? These are the primary camps in Al Mawasi and Gaza City.
The prime minister’s remarks were later described as a “series of lies” by a Hamas official.
‘Just another plan’
Five Al Jazeera journalists, including a well-known correspondent, were murdered in an Israeli strike in Gaza on Sunday, the Qatar-based channel said.
Media watchdogs estimate that 200 media workers have been killed during the conflict, making this the most recent attack to target journalists in Gaza.
Thousands of people demonstrated against the security cabinet’s decision in Tel Aviv over the weekend.
Joel Obodov, a protester, told AFP, “The new plan is just another plan that is going to fail, and it could very well be the end of our hostages, and of course, it will probably take more lives of our soldiers.”
All through the war, Netanyahu has been the target of frequent demonstrations, with many rallies demanding that the government reach a ceasefire and hostage-release agreement after previous truces involved the exchange of captives for Palestinian detainees held by Israel.
READ: Palestinian Authority slams Israel’s escalation in Gaza
However, the far right has also put pressure on Netanyahu to crack down harder on Hamas, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has criticized the current plan as being too soft.
“They made the decision to take the same course of action once more, starting a military operation that doesn’t aim for a definitive resolution,” Smotrich stated.
Throughout the war, Smotrich and other far-right members of Netanyahu’s cabinet have had significant sway in the coalition government; their backing is thought to be essential to retaining at least 61 seats for a legislative majority.
“Victory is achievable,” Itamar Ben Gvir, a far-right national security minister, said on Kan radio on Sunday. I want to colonize and transfer all of Gaza. The troops won’t be in danger with this plan
‘We will win’
The cabinet’s choice to escalate the conflict sparked international outrage.
At a Security Council meeting on Sunday, UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca stated, “If these plans are carried out, they will probably cause another disaster in Gaza, reverberating throughout the region and causing further forced displacement, killings, and destruction.”
After repeated predictions of starvation spreading, foreign powers—including some of Israel’s allies—have been pressuring for a truce to ensure the return of the hostages and ease a humanitarian disaster.
Netanyahu has maintained his position in the face of criticism and rumors of disapproval from Israeli military leaders.
He assured reporters on Sunday that “we will win the war, with or without the support of others.”
“Our objective is to establish a civilian administration in the Strip that is not associated with Hamas or the Palestinian Authority, rather than to occupy Gaza,” he said.
The premier’s office then asserted that he spoke with US President Donald Trump on the phone about the new military plans.
Of the 251 hostages captured during Hamas’s 2023 raid, 49 remain in custody in Gaza, including 27 the military says were dead.
Israel’s offensive has killed at least 61,430 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry, citing figures the UN says are correct.
According to Gaza’s civil defense group, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 27 individuals on Sunday across the territory, including 11 who were waiting in line at aid delivery facilities.
According to an AFP count based on official estimates, 1,219 persons were killed in Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel, which set off the conflict.
READ MORE: LAD REPORTING
