Gaza, Aug 5: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the Israeli military to fully occupy the Gaza Strip in a sweeping escalation aimed at pressuring Hamas to release the remaining hostages, according to reports in Israeli media.The decision marks a turning point in the nearly ten-month war, as Israelâs military — already in control of roughly 75% of the territory — is now set to seize the remaining areas, including the zones where intelligence believes hostages are being held.
The Jerusalem Post reported that the Prime Ministerâs Office directly told the IDF Chief of Staff to follow through with the new directive â or resign.
This came hours after harrowing videos released by Hamas and Islamic Jihad showed two Israeli hostages, Rom Braslavski and Evyatar David, in visibly distressed conditions. Braslavski said he could no longer stand due to injuries, while David, shown digging what he said was his own grave, spoke of going days without food.
âWhen I see these, I understand exactly what Hamas wants,â Netanyahu said in a televised address on Sunday. âThey do not want a deal. They want to break us using these videos of horror.â
While Israeli Army Radio reported on Monday that military chief Eyal Zamir has become frustrated with what he describes as a lack of strategic clarity by the political leadership, concerned about being dragged into a war of attrition.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian toll inside Gaza continues to mount. The United Nations estimates that nearly 1,400 Palestinians have been killed while trying to access aid since May, mostly near distribution sites run by an American contractor working with Israel’s support. Israeli forces deny targeting civilians directly and claim they have only fired warning shots to control crowds.
From March to May, Israel imposed a total blockade on the enclave, barring all food, medicine and humanitarian supplies. That policy was partially relaxed after international outcry, but conditions remain dire for the roughly two million Palestinians still trapped inside the war-ravaged territory.