Days after Israeli officials said the Israeli military was set to prepare a new operational plan on the war, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was announced Monday he would convene the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet this week to discuss how to instruct the military to proceed in Gaza and meet all the war goals.
"We must continue to stand together and fight together to achieve the war objectives we set – all of them – defeating the enemy, freeing our hostages and ensuring that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel," Netanyahu said in a statement.
In the statement, he did not specify when the cabinet meeting would be held. "1,955 years ago, at the end of Tisha B'Av, we suffered the greatest defeat in our history, which changed the face of Jewish history," Netanyahu said. "Then we were divided, separated, fighting each other. Today, at the end of Tisha B'Av, we are in the midst of a tremendous war, in which we have achieved very great, historic achievements, because we were not divided, because we stood together and fought together... Later this week I will convene the cabinet to instruct the IDF how to achieve these three objectives – all of them, without exception."
Sources close to the matter told Israel Hayom earlier this week that a rift has emerged between Israel's political and military leadership over how to proceed. While IDF officials, including IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, support encircling Hamas controlled areas until the terrorist organization surrenders, hardline ministers such as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich are calling for a full-scale reoccupation of the Gaza Strip, even in areas where hostages are believed to be held.
The Prime Minister's Office believes that Hamas' steadfast refusal to compromise stems from two primary factors: increasing Iranian influence and the perceived success of its starvation campaign, designed to apply international pressure on Israel. In response, Netanyahu is reportedly pushing for a combined military solution aimed at defeating Hamas while enabling humanitarian aid to enter areas outside combat zones and, wherever possible, areas not under Hamas control.
In recent days, with the talks with Hamas over a hostage deal collapsing, cabinet ministers have been indicating 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.
Following Hamas' hardened stance this past week, emboldened by European recognition of a Palestinian state and the overwhelming success of its starvation campaign, Jerusalem has signaled that a partial deal is off the table.
