Just hours before the narrow Diplomatic-Security Cabinet was set to convene, Israeli officials stated on Sunday that negotiations over a potential hostage deal have ground to a halt, prompting the IDF to prepare a detailed military plan for Gaza to present to ministers.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toured the IDF's Military Intelligence Directorate and said, "We have a job to finish, eliminating Hamas, and we have a job to bring our hostages home. We're not giving up on that for even a minute. These are two intertwined objectives. But the main takeaway from what they saw in Iran: there is no axis. That plan for the destruction of Israel is now off the table."
Cabinet ministers indicated that the moment of decision over whether to seize full control of Gaza may be approaching. This comes amid a growing sense that a hostage deal is slipping further out of reach, despite continued efforts to secure the release of as many hostages as possible. According to officials, Hamas' increasingly hardline positions are pushing Israel closer to implementing a full-scale war plan for the Gaza Strip.
