JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to fully occupy the Gaza Strip and expand military operations in the enclave, local media said on Monday evening.

“The die is cast — we are going for a full occupation of the Gaza Strip,” a senior official close to Netanyahu was quoted as saying by Yedioth Ahronoth daily.

“There will be operations even in areas where hostages are being held. If the IDF (army) chief of staff doesn’t agree, he should resign.”

Israeli Channel 12 said the decision signals a major shift in Israel’s Gaza strategy, with operations now expected in densely populated areas, including central refugee camps.

Public broadcaster KAN, citing Cabinet ministers who recently spoke with Netanyahu, said the premier decided to broaden military operations in Gaza despite opposition from the security establishment.

He reportedly used the phrase “occupation of the strip” to describe the goal of defeating Hamas, the broadcaster added.

Yedioth Ahronoth claimed that US President Donald Trump had given Netanyahu a “green light” to proceed with the expanded assault.

According to the outlet, senior officials close to Netanyahu said: “We are heading toward full occupation of the Gaza Strip,” including military operations in areas where hostages are believed to be held.

Separately, Israel’s Channel 13 reported that the chief of General Staff, Eyal Zamir, canceled a planned visit to Washington due to the collapse of ceasefire talks and the mounting push for expanded military operations.

On July 29, Haaretz reported that Netanyahu had presented the Israeli Cabinet with a US-approved plan to reoccupy parts of Gaza.

An unnamed Israeli security official told KAN Monday night that Israel had “turned its back” on a nearly finalized deal for a partial hostage release, accusing Netanyahu’s government of quickly abandoning it.

The source admitted that while Hamas had imposed some conditions, “the gaps were bridgeable – Israel wasted the opportunity.”

Netanyahu has been accused both at home and abroad of deliberately prolonging the war to protect himself rather than the state of Israel.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing nearly 61,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The military campaign has devastated the enclave and brought it to the verge of famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.