Israeli PM directs IDF to take full control of Gaza Strip
Israel: In a major escalation of the current war, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu allegedly gave the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) orders to seize complete control of the Gaza Strip.
Pressure on Hamas to gain the release of Israeli captives still being held within the enclave is said to have increased as a result of the instruction.
The new directives demand that the remaining pockets, including those thought to be holding captives, be taken over by Israeli forces, who now control around 75% of the region.
According to the Jerusalem Post, Netanyahu’s office sent IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir the order directly along with a warning to follow it or step down.
The demand for total military rule over Gaza coincides with a total collapse in peace negotiations and growing annoyance among Israeli officials about the continued hostage-taking by Hamas since the war began.
Notably, a sharp increase in the military effort is indicated by Netanyahu’s purported order to invade the remaining Gaza Strip.
The Times of Israel reports that a number of ministers have acknowledged that Netanyahu has used the phrase “occupation of the Strip” in private. This is a significant change from the government’s previous opposition to reentering the heavily inhabited regions of the enclave.
As pressure mounts from both within the military ranks and from a public becoming more and more alarmed by the situation of the captives and the lack of a solution, the Israeli Security Cabinet is scheduled to meet on Tuesday to formally announce the next phase of operations in Gaza.
This comes after Hamas and Islamic Jihad released unsettling footage of two Israeli captives, Rom Braslavski and Evyatar David, in apparent agony.
In the video, David is shown excavating what he refers to as his own tomb and declaring that he has gone days without eating, while Braslavski claims that his injuries have rendered him unable to move.
During his Sunday television speech, Netanyahu said, “When I see these, I understand exactly what Hamas wants.” “A deal is not what they want.” They’re using these scary videos to break us.
Israeli Army Radio reports, meanwhile, indicate that tensions among the military leadership are rising. According to reports, Chief of Staff Zamir is worried about a possible war of attrition with Hamas and is angry at the political leadership’s lack of long-term planning.
Tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrated on Saturday night, demanding a rapid ceasefire and an agreement to return the captives, as public unhappiness also increased throughout the weekend.
The horrific hostage film going viral online sparked one of the biggest protests in recent weeks.
A plea for humanitarian access to the captives, which Hamas has continuously rejected during the war, was also made by Netanyahu to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is becoming worse as military operations become more intense.
According to UN estimates, since May, around 1,400 Palestinians have lost their lives while trying to get supplies, many of them close to distribution points run by an American contractor supported by Israel.
The IDF admits deploying warning fire to manage crowds around relief vehicles but denies purposefully shooting people.
Israel imposed a complete embargo on Gaza from March to May, stopping all shipments of food, medicine, and humanitarian aid.
Under international criticism, limitations have subsequently been somewhat loosened, but the situation for the approximately two million people living in the enclave is still grim.