Netanyahu presents phased plan to seize control of Gaza: Israeli media

JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented a phased plan to seize control of the Gaza Strip during a high-stakes Security Cabinet meeting Thursday evening, local media said.

The public broadcaster KAN, citing unnamed official sources, said Netanyahu proposed what was described as a “light” and “gradual” strategy during one of the most sensitive meetings since the Gaza war began.

According to the report, the plan calls for Israeli forces to advance into areas they have not previously entered, including what it describes as Hamas training camps in central Gaza and Gaza City itself - despite warnings from the army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir.

The plan begins with displacing Gaza City’s residents to the south, followed by encircling the city and launching further ground incursions into densely populated areas, the sources told KAN.

Several ministers reportedly rejected any plan that falls short of full territorial control over Gaza. Aryeh Deri, head of the ultra-Orthodox Shas Party, warned that prolonging the war would carry political costs and endanger the lives of hostages.

Deri, a minister without portfolio, called on ministers to consider the military’s assessments, saying Netanyahu’s plan risks “ongoing political damage” and could put captives at greater risk, KAN reported.

Zamir reiterated his opposition to any plan involving full reoccupation of Gaza. He cited key risks, including harm to hostages, exhaustion of Israeli troops and reservists, and damage to Israel’s international legitimacy.

Local media reported growing divisions within Israel’s leadership, as Netanyahu pushes to retake all of Gaza - including areas believed to hold Israeli hostages.

Zamir, meanwhile, is reportedly advancing an "encircling strategy” focused on surrounding key areas in Gaza. The goal, according to the plan, is to exert sustained military pressure on Hamas to secure the hostages’ release.

On Wednesday, Zamir described Netanyahu’s plan as a “strategic trap” that would drain the army for years and endanger Israeli captives.

Israel has been facing mounting outrage over its destructive war on Gaza, where more than 61,200 people have been killed since October 2023. 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 Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.