The government of Israel approved a military plan that contemplates the total conquest of the Gaza Strip and the prolonged permanence of Israel Defense Forces (FDI) In the territory, in order to completely dismantle the control of the terrorist group HamasAs an Israeli official reported on Monday.
The decision was adopted on Sunday night during a security cabinet meeting, which unanimously supported the proposal presented by the head of the Staff of the FDILieutenant General Stingy pronoun.
As reported by Times of Israelthe plan implies the progressive deployment of Israeli troops within the Palestinian enclave and the establishment of sustained control over the conquered areas, in what has been described by officials as a gradual operation that could be extended for several months.
The strategy will begin with the military control of a specific area, not yet revealed, before extending to other regions of Gaza. This initial phase will be accompanied by the displacement of civilians to the south of the enclave, while the Israeli forces advance in their operations against military infrastructure and the leadership of Hamas.
“The objective is to prevent Hamas from continuing to control the territory and directly manage security and humanitarian aid needs”, Declared a senior Israeli official. The plan also contemplates preventing the organization from using international aid for the benefit of its combatants, which has been a recurring concern for the Israeli government.
During the cabinet session, the army’s session warned about the risks of carrying out this offensive while there are still Israeli hostages retained by Hamas within the Gaza Strip. The army raised concerns about how a large -scale operation could endanger the life of the captives.
Despite these warnings, the plan was approved with the support of all the members of the cabinet, and it is expected that its execution begins only after the visit of the president of the United States, Donald Trumpscheduled for next week. Until then, Israel will continue with diplomatic efforts to achieve temporary fire and advance negotiations with Hamas for the release of hostages.
In parallel to the military plan, the cabinet also approved a proposal to modify the mechanism for the delivery of humanitarian aid in Gaza. The initiative, revealed by The Times of Israelstates that FDI stop being responsible for direct distribution and transfer that responsibility to international organizations and private security companies. These entities would deliver food packages directly to Gazati families, while Israeli troops would offer perimeter security to protect the process.
“Reducing Hamas aid diversion is key to ensuring that resources reach civilians who need it most”explained Israeli and Arab officials familiar with the subject. Israel considers that by limiting Hamas’ contact with the supply, its ability to use resources for the civilian population in favor of its military apparatus will be difficult.
The National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Truehe was the only member of the Cabinet who voted against this measure, considering that any type of assistance could indirectly strengthen Hamas. However, the proposal was approved by a majority and will be implemented “when the conditions on the field allow it,” explained the official cited by Israeli media.
The offensive raised by Israel It marks a strategic turn towards a prolonged occupation of the enclave, a possibility that the authorities had avoided confirming so far. The official sources indicated that the plan is designed for “months of continuous combat” and do not rule out a temporary military administration in Gaza after the defeat of Hamas.
The war in Gaza began when militiamen led by Hamas attacked the on of Israel, killing the 1.200 personas And taking around 250 hostages. Israel says that 59 captives remain in Gaza, although it is believed that about 35 are dead.
