Israel directs army to carry out government orders in Gaza
Israel Seeks Decision on Full Occupation of Gaza Amid Ongoing Hostilities
Military Preparedness for Expanded Operations in Gaza City and Khan Yunis
The Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz emphasized that the army will execute any governmental decision with determination and professionalism. A fresh evacuation call was issued for parts of Gaza City in the north and Khan Yunis in the south, where ground troops are poised to take the offensive further.
Internal Rifts Over Strategy for Confronting Hamas
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is slated to convene the security cabinet to finalize a decision on expanding the offensive.
- Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, the armed forces chief, warned that a full occupation would be equivalent to walking into a trap, suggesting alternatives such as encircling specific Hamas‑held areas.
- Opposition leader Yair Lapid criticized a full occupation as “operationally, morally and economically” a bad idea.
International Reactions and Humanitarian Crisis
President Donald Trump told reporters that any decision to occupy the entire Gaza Strip would be up to Israel. Meanwhile, the UN Security Council held a special session to discuss the plight of Israeli hostages.
Amid the war’s 23rd month, the humanitarian situation has worsened with more than two million Palestinians in Gaza facing famine, according to UN warnings. On the ground, Gaza’s civil defence agency reported at least 22 casualties when an aid truck overturned onto a crowd awaiting food rations.
Key Figures of the Conflict
- 25,251 hostages seized by Hamas in October 2023, with 49 still held in Gaza and 27 reportedly dead.
- 61,158 fatalities in Gaza, mostly civilians, as reported by the Gaza health ministry.
- 1,219 deaths in the October 2023 attack, the majority civilians.
Israel continues to press the need for a decisive military strategy while balancing internal disagreement and growing international pressure to resolve the conflict.
