Netanyahu preparing total occupation of Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced his intention to instruct the army to prepare a plan to occupy the entire Gaza Strip, marking a decisive turning point in the offensive against Hamas and the escalation of the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

Officials in Netanyahu’s office recently claimed that the Prime Minister had decided to occupy the whole of the Gaza Strip, believing that this was the only way to guarantee the hostages’ release.

This announcement comes at a time when Gaza has already been devastated by months of bombardment, an unprecedented humanitarian crisis is worsening, with hundreds of thousands of civilians displaced, infrastructure destroyed, and access to aid increasingly restricted.

On the international scene, support for Netanyahu is weakening, and several traditional allies are calling for restraint and a lasting political solution, while criticizing Israel’s heavy restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid.

As a sign of increased pressure, several countries, including France, Canada and the UK, are now willing to officially recognize the Palestinian state, in a diplomatic move designed to step up the pressure on Israel. Several countries, including Canada, have also taken part in a military operation to airdrop food aid to civilians affected by the conflict.