1 of 10 | A man holds a handmade sign reading “STOP BB’S WAR!” at a protest for the release of hostages held in Gaza and against the expansion of the Israel-Hamas war outside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office during a security cabinet meeting in Jerusalem on Tuesday. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo
Aug. 5 (UPI) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly backing a plan to seize full control of the Gaza Strip, despite misgivings from military officials and growing international criticism of Israel.
During a high-level meeting with Israeli security officials Tuesday, Netanyahu said he favored occupying the Gaza Strip even if it meant that Hamas, the militant group that rules the enclave, kills or harms hostages seized during attacks nearly two years ago, reports The Times of Israel.
The meeting highlighted a disagreement between Netanyahu and Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, chief of staff for the Israeli Defense Forces, reports The Jerusalem Post. Netanyahu said Israel will only be able to free the hostages with a change of approach, according to the paper. Zamir responded that occupying Gaza could be a trap that endangers the hostages.
Since launching its campaign to eradicate Hamas, Israel has faced growing international backlash on the toll it’s taken on Palestinian civilians who’ve faced death, displacement and, more recently, widespread starvation.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi on Tuesday accused Isreali of committing genocide in Gaza, claiming the war was no longer about releasing hostages and that the situation has become “a diplomatic bargaining chip,” reports Israel Hayom.
“This war is no longer about achieving diplomatic aims or freeing the hostages, but has become a war of starvation, genocide, and the elimination of the Palestinian issue,” el-Sissi said.
Netanyahu’s reported shift in his position comes days before a scheduled meeting Thursday of the Israeli Security Cabinet to discuss the direction of the campaign, the news outlet the Times of Israel also reported.
The meeting did not include ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, both members of the Security Cabinet who have voiced support for occupying Gaza, reports Israel Hayom.
Ben-Gvir on Monday said in a post on X that the “The Chief of Staff is required to state clearly that he will fully comply with the directives of the political echelon, even if a decision is made for conquest and decisive action.”
Netanyahu’s office on Tuesday posted a brief statement to X confirming the three-hour meeting.
“The IDF is prepared to carry out any decision made by the Security Cabinet,” the statement added.
The Israeli Defense Forces currently controls about three-quarters of the Gaza Strip and has avoided operations in areas where it suspects Hamas is holding hostages out of concerns they will be executed, according to the Times of Israel.