Netanyahu Pushes Gaza Takeover Plan Despite Military and Public Opposition By The Media Line Staff Israel’s security cabinet met Thursday evening to decide whether to seize full control of the Gaza Strip, a plan backed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but opposed by senior military officials and hostage families who say it could endanger captives’ […]
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The Media Line: Netanyahu Pushes Gaza Takeover Plan Despite Military and Public Opposition
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Netanyahu Pushes Gaza Takeover Plan Despite Military and Public Opposition
By The Media Line Staff
Israel’s security cabinet met Thursday evening to decide whether to seize full control of the Gaza Strip, a plan backed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but opposed by senior military officials and hostage families who say it could endanger captives’ lives.
The proposal calls for capturing Gaza City and central refugee camps, moving roughly half the enclave’s population to the south, and maintaining an Israeli security perimeter. Netanyahu told reporters earlier in the day that Israel aims to “destroy Hamas and get our hostages back” before handing the territory to “Arab forces that will govern it properly” — excluding both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. He said Israel and the United States agree on key principles for a post-Hamas Gaza, including disarmament, demilitarization, and a non-Israeli civilian administration willing to live in peace with Israel.
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid criticized the plan, warning it means “more war, more dead hostages” and huge costs to taxpayers. Yair Golan of The Democrats party called it “a vote to sacrifice our sons, daughters, and the entire future of the State of Israel.”
Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has reportedly cautioned ministers that the move could “drag Israel into a black hole,” promising to present the military’s position “without fear” before the vote.
The debate unfolded as protests were held outside the meeting in Jerusalem and across the country. Hostage relatives pleaded with ministers to reject the plan, calling an escalation “a death sentence” for their loved ones.
The war began after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack that killed about 1,200 people in Israel and took 251 hostages. Israel says it has killed 20,000 Hamas fighters, while Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry claims more than 60,000 deaths, a figure that cannot be independently verified.