Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a chilling three-word declaration, revealing his plan to fully seize control of the Gaza Strip during an interview with Fox News
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outlined his strategy to completely take over the Gaza Strip during a Fox News interview on Thursday morning, delivering a bone-chilling three-word declaration.
“You will go immediately into a meeting with your security cabinet. Will Israel take control of all of Gaza?” Fox News’ Bill Hemmer asks.
“We intend to,” Netanyahu responded. He explained the takeover would be “in order to assure” Israeli security and “remove Hamas there” and “enable the population to be free of Gaza.”
“That’s what we want to do,” the prime minister said. “We want to liberate ourselves and liberate the people of Gaza from the awful terror of Hamas.”
Netanyahu faces intense backlash over Gaza takeover plan
This marks not the first occasion Netanyahu has threatened a complete seizure of the Gaza Strip, either. Just two days ago, it was reported that he was weighing a full reoccupation of Gaza a strategy that would spark fierce resistance both within and outside of Israel, the Express US reported.
It would represent one of the most shocking escalations of the nearly 2-year-old war in the territory, which has already been largely devastated. A famine is currently developing in Gaza, too.
The occupation would endanger the lives of countless Palestinians and about 20 living hostages, and it would worsen Israel’s already severe international isolation amid the conflict which many experts, including the U.N. Human Rights Council and most of the Security Council have classified as a genocide. The families of the hostages in Israel view the potential invasion as a death sentence for their loved ones.
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The security establishment is also reportedly against such an open-ended occupation, which could further tarnish the reputation of the Israeli Defense Force after nearly two years of regional wars.
The threat to occupy Gaza might be a political tactic used by Netanyahu
The threat to occupy Gaza could be a strategic move aimed at pressuring Hamas following the collapse of peace talks mediated by the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar last month.
This could also serve as a strategy for Netanyahu to gain support from his far-right coalition partners. His governing allies have been advocating for an escalation of the war, including the takeover of Gaza.
They are pushing for as much of the population as possible to voluntarily emigrate and for Jewish settlements to be reestablished, following their dismantlement when Israel withdrew from the region in 2005.
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However, whether they succeed will depend on the one person with leverage over Israel U.S. President Donald Trump. When asked on Tuesday if he thought Israel should reoccupy Gaza, he said he wasn’t aware of the “suggestion” but that “it’s going to be pretty much up to Israel.”
Reports emerged on Thursday morning that a high-ranking U.S. official told Axios that Trump had changed his stance, stating he doesn’t necessarily support the takeover but those reports have yet to be confirmed.
What would it take for Israel to occupy Gaza?
For Israel to fully occupy Gaza, it would require ground operations by the IDF in some of the most densely populated areas of the territory including the last areas that haven’t been flattened by Israeli bombings.
Most of the region’s 2 million Palestinians have sought refuge in those areas. The central city of Deir al-Balah and Muwasi, a so-called humanitarian zone where hundreds of thousands of people live in squalid tent camps along the coast, is one of the regions the IDF would need to invade.
Such operations would trigger another wave of mass displacement and further disrupt aid deliveries by U.N. agencies and humanitarian organizations which are already struggling to manage the mass famine engulfing the region.
Israel already controls about 75% of the territory, which has been declared a buffer zone or placed under evacuation orders. With Israel also largely sealing Gaza’s borders, it’s not clear where civilians are supposed to go.
Hostages at risk from Gaza occupation
Occupying Gaza would pose a significant risk for the remaining 20 living hostages, who are likely being held in tunnels or other secret locations.
Hamas is reportedly prepared to order the execution of hostages if Israeli forces approach. The Hamas-led militants kidnapped 251 individuals during an attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which ignited a war after approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed.
Currently, there are still 50 hostages in captivity, but it’s believed that less than half of them are still alive. Recent footage shows gaunt captives begging for their lives, with one being forced to dig his own grave a mere shadow of his former self.
Israel’s counter-offensive has resulted in the death of over 61,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants.
The ministry, which operates under the Hamas-run government and is managed by medical professionals, is considered by the U.N. and other experts as the most reliable source of casualty figures. Israel disputes these numbers but hasn’t provided its own.
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