Netanyahu Reportedly Set to Propose Full Reoccupation of Gaza

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1550 EAT on Tuesday 5 August 2025

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly planning to propose a full reoccupation of the Gaza Strip during an upcoming meeting with his security cabinet, according to local media.

“The die has been cast. We’re going for the full conquest of the Gaza Strip – and defeating Hamas,” a senior Israeli official was quoted as saying by local journalists.

The proposal is said to come amid reported opposition from top military leaders, including the army chief of staff. Responding to those concerns, the unnamed official reportedly stated: “If that doesn’t work for the chief of staff, he should resign.”

The plan has sparked renewed fears among the families of hostages still held in Gaza, who worry that a renewed offensive could endanger their loved ones. Of the 50 remaining hostages, Israel believes only about 20 are still alive.

Meanwhile, recent polling suggests that around three-quarters of Israelis favour a ceasefire agreement that would prioritize the safe return of the hostages over continued military escalation.

Many of Israel’s closest allies are also expected to condemn any move toward full reoccupation of Gaza, as they continue to push for an end to the war and increased efforts to address the deepening humanitarian crisis in the territory.

Inside Israel, dissent is growing. On Monday, hundreds of retired security officials—including former heads of the Mossad and Shin Bet—signed a joint letter urging U.S. President Joe Biden to increase pressure on Prime Minister Netanyahu to halt the war.

“From a military point of view, [Hamas] is totally destroyed,” Ayalon said. “But as an ideology, it is gaining more and more power among Palestinians, in the Arab world, and in the broader Islamic world. The only way to defeat Hamas’s ideology is to present a better future.”

These developments come as hopes for a negotiated ceasefire and hostage deal dimmed. Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas have broken down, and in recent days Palestinian armed groups released disturbing videos showing two Israeli hostages in visibly emaciated states.

The footage of Rom Blaslavski and Evyatar David—both kidnapped from the Nova music festival during the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attack—has shocked the Israeli public. One of the videos shows David digging what he says is his own grave inside an underground tunnel.

Some analysts speculate that the latest media leaks may be part of a pressure tactic aimed at forcing Hamas back to the negotiating table.

Israel’s military says it already has operational control over 75% of Gaza. However, under the reported plan, it would move to occupy the entire territory—including areas currently crowded with over two million displaced Palestinians.

What that would mean for civilians, humanitarian operations, and the UN remains uncertain. Around 90% of Gaza’s 2.1 million residents have been displaced—many multiple times—and now live in overcrowded, often unsanitary conditions. UN officials and aid agencies warn that famine is imminent, with many already starving. They accuse Israel of obstructing the delivery and distribution of essential humanitarian aid—an allegation Israel denies.

The Israeli military has previously avoided some areas, particularly in central Gaza, due to concerns that hostages may be held there. Last year, six Israeli hostages were executed by their captors following an IDF ground incursion.

There has been no official Israeli government announcement yet. However, officials from the Palestinian Authority—based in the occupied West Bank—quickly condemned the reported plan, calling on the international community to intervene and prevent any new military occupation.

Palestinian officials and observers note that several far-right Israeli ministers have openly called for full reoccupation and eventual annexation of Gaza, with some even advocating the construction of new Jewish settlements in the enclave.

Israel dismantled its settlements in Gaza and withdrew its military presence in 2005. But along with Egypt, it has since maintained strict control over access to the territory—by land, air, and sea.

The reported reoccupation proposal comes at a time of renewed international efforts to revive the two-state solution—the long-standing diplomatic framework that envisions an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, with borders including the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem as its capital.

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