In a decisive shift, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has now reportedly ordered a full occupation of the Gaza Strip, signaling a dramatic escalation in the war against Hamas and a rejection of mounting international pressure to pull back.
“Senior official in Netanyahu’s office: The decision has been made — we’re going to occupy Gaza,” posted Amit Segal, Channel 12’s chief political analyst and one of Israel’s most respected journalists, on Monday. T
he Jerusalem Post later confirmed the report through the Prime Minister’s Office, and Amichai Stein of i24 News added that the order includes operations in areas where Israeli hostages are still believed to be held.
The move follows months of criticism directed at Netanyahu for the prolonged nature of the war. While critics accuse both Israel and Hamas of allowing the conflict to fester for political gain, Netanyahu has made clear that any comparison between the two sides is deeply offensive and dangerously misleading.
In a video address Monday, Netanyahu forcefully pushed back against claims that Israel is exacerbating famine in Gaza, calling the accusations a modern-day “blood libel.” “In the Middle Ages, all the massacres against Jews were preceded by horrible vilifications… Today, the Jewish state is facing similar vilifications,” Netanyahu said, decrying lies that Israel is “deliberately starving Palestinian children.”
Since October, the Israeli government says it has facilitated the delivery of nearly two million tons of humanitarian aid into Gaza, even as Hamas allegedly continues to steal food and supplies meant for civilians.
Netanyahu described how the Israeli Air Force has now been authorized to conduct humanitarian airdrops, with support from several foreign nations. “We’ve designated safe corridors through which these trucks can travel without being looted by Hamas,” he added.
The prime minister’s remarks come on the heels of Hamas releasing disturbing videos of Israeli hostages in visibly deteriorating condition. Netanyahu condemned the footage as further evidence that Hamas has no interest in a deal. “They do not want a deal,” he said Sunday.
President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly called for a ceasefire, has also acknowledged the deepening humanitarian crisis. But in late July, the president placed the blame squarely on Hamas, saying the group’s unwillingness to negotiate has left Israel little choice. “Hamas doesn’t want a ceasefire,” Trump said. “Israel will have to finish the job.”
With Netanyahu signaling that the IDF will press deeper into Gaza and with American support for humanitarian corridors growing, Israel appears to be preparing for the final stages of a grueling campaign—one that seeks not just the return of its hostages, but a decisive end to Hamas’s stranglehold on the region.
And for Netanyahu, whose critics accuse him of dragging out the war, the message is unmistakable: Help free Gaza from tyranny — or get out of the way.
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