Netanyahu Announces IDF Military Control in Gaza During Cabinet Meeting

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced a renewed Israeli military campaign in the Gaza Strip that includes full military control and territorial holding, despite fierce backlash from hostage families and debate within the cabinet over humanitarian aid distribution.

The plan, discussed during a late-night security cabinet meeting on Sunday, received unanimous approval from cabinet ministers and marks a significant escalation in Israel’s ongoing conflict with Hamas.

Netanyahu emphasized that the initiative is designed to achieve Israel’s two main war goals: the military defeat of Hamas and the return of Israeli hostages held in Gaza.

“The new operation will ensure Hamas is stripped of its capacity to govern or distribute humanitarian aid and will involve the movement of Gazan civilians southward,” Netanyahu said during the meeting.

While the launch of the operation is expected to follow U.S. President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to the region, logistical preparations are already underway, including the mobilization of reservists.

Cabinet members, speaking to The Jerusalem Post, described the plan as more comprehensive and strategic than previous proposals. However, the Hostage Families Forum sharply criticized the government’s decision, arguing that it prioritizes territory over the lives of the hostages.

“The plan approved by the cabinet deserves to be called the ‘Smotrich-Netanyahu Plan’ — a plan to abandon the hostages and forsake national and security resilience,” the forum said in a statement Monday morning.

“This morning, the government admits that it is choosing territory over hostages, contrary to the will of over 70% of the public.”

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, speaking at a separate conference, defended the cabinet’s stance, asserting that no withdrawal from captured territory would occur — even in exchange for hostages.

“The only way to free the hostages is to defeat Hamas,” Smotrich said. “Any withdrawal will bring about the next October 7. The IDF will make it clear to Hamas that harming the hostages will come at a heavy price.”

The government also approved the continued entrance of humanitarian aid into Gaza, which will now be distributed by a civilian company. This decision was not without opposition.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir voiced strong resistance, claiming Gazans had enough food and instead proposed targeting Hamas’s storage facilities.

“I don’t understand why we need to give them humanitarian aid,” Ben-Gvir argued during the cabinet session. “We should bomb Hamas’s food storage facilities.”

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir rebutted Ben-Gvir’s stance, warning that such measures could endanger Israeli soldiers and the broader mission.

Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara also intervened, reminding the cabinet that Israel is legally obligated to facilitate humanitarian aid under international law.

“For the sake of clarity, no minister has proposed starving them,” the cabinet secretary clarified during the tense exchange.

Despite internal disagreements and public pressure, Netanyahu signaled that the operation would proceed, framing it as a necessary step toward long-term security and strategic success in Gaza.

Whether it will deliver on the promise of hostages’ return and Hamas’s defeat — or further deepen public division — remains to be seen.