“The die is cast. We are going for a full occupation of the Gaza Strip,” a senior Israeli official stated, per Israeli media. The IDF has repeatedly voiced opposition to a full military takeover, arguing it could take years to dismantle Hamas’s remaining infrastructure and could put the lives of the hostages at further risk.
The reported approval comes days after Hamas released a propaganda video of 24-year-old hostage Evyatar David in a tunnel, apparently digging his own grave. It also follows months of negotiations between Israel and Hamas over a renewed ceasefire ending, which the terror organization rejected, and growing pressure from the international community and some Israelis to end the war in Gaza amid reports of “mass starvation.” (Source)
