Israel’s security cabinet has approved a plan to expand its military offensive in Gaza, aiming to capture and hold the entire territory in a significant escalation of its campaign against Hamas, according to Israeli officials. The decision, made in a Sunday evening vote, follows the collapse of a U.S.-backed ceasefire in mid-March and has sparked warnings of a worsening humanitarian crisis and international backlash.
The plan, described as gradual and long-term, seeks to defeat Hamas and secure the release of 59 Israeli hostages still held in Gaza, down from 251 taken during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack that killed 1,200 people. Israeli forces, which already control roughly one-third to half of Gaza’s territory, will shift from temporary raids to permanent territorial control, starting with expanding a buffer zone along Gaza’s borders with Israel and Egypt. “The plan will include, among other things, the capture of the Strip and holding the territories, moving the Gazan population south for its defence, denying Hamas the ability to distribute humanitarian supplies, and powerful attacks against Hamas,” an Israeli official told the BBC, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of military plans. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a “good plan” to achieve Israel’s war aims, the official added.
To support the operation, Israel’s military chief, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, announced the call-up of tens of thousands of reserve soldiers. “We are increasing the pressure with the aim of bringing our people home and defeating Hamas,” Zamir said during a visit to a naval base, pledging to destroy militant infrastructure. Israeli media reported the campaign could take months, with Security Cabinet Minister Zeev Elkin suggesting a window for ceasefire and hostage talks before U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East visit concludes on May 16. “There is still a window of opportunity if Hamas understands we are serious,” Elkin told public broadcaster Kan.
The plan includes moving Gaza’s 2.1-2.3 million residents southward, a move critics warn could exacerbate an already dire humanitarian crisis. Since March 2, Israel has blocked all humanitarian aid, including food, water, and medical supplies, leading to widespread hunger and looting. The United Nations reported that Gaza’s population faces renewed risks of malnutrition, with warehouses empty, bakeries closed, and community kitchens days from running out of supplies. Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry stated that 52,567 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, including 2,459 since the offensive resumed, though these figures could not be independently verified.
The cabinet also approved, in principle, a plan to allow private companies to distribute aid, aiming to prevent Hamas from controlling supplies. However, the UN’s Humanitarian Country Team, including major aid agencies, rejected the proposal as a violation of humanitarian principles. “It contravenes fundamental humanitarian principles and appears designed to reinforce control over life-sustaining items as a pressure tactic,” the team stated, warning that aid distribution through Israeli military hubs in militarized zones endangers civilians and workers. Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, posted on X that Israel’s demand to shut down existing aid systems is an attempt to “manipulate and militarize all aid,” vowing that his organization would not comply.
International mediators have struggled to revive ceasefire talks, with Hamas calling Israel’s tactics “political blackmail” and demanding a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza for any hostage release. The plan’s mention of “voluntary emigration” tied to Trump’s proposal for a U.S. takeover of Gaza has drawn condemnation from European and Arab allies, according to Israeli officials cited by EuroNews. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, representing hostages’ relatives, criticized the government’s focus on territorial control, stating it “chooses territories over the hostages” against the will of over 70% of Israelis, per surveys.
Public support for the war has waned in Israel, with protests in Jerusalem on Monday demanding a ceasefire to prioritize hostage release. Critics, including some reservists, argue the strategy risks entangling Israel in a prolonged guerrilla conflict without securing hostages, none of whom have been freed since March. The offensive’s timing coincides with heightened regional tensions, as a Houthi missile from Yemen landed near Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport hours before the cabinet’s vote, though no casualties were reported.
Israel maintains it complies with international law, denying aid shortages, while the UN insists Israel is obligated to ensure supplies for Gaza’s displaced population. The lack of a clear post-war governance plan for Gaza continues to fuel uncertainty, with no official vision outlined for administering the territory after the campaign.
