Amid the ongoing Gaza conflict, a senior Israeli official told News18 that “Israel will not annex Gaza,” and instead will focus on a limited military operation aimed at destroying Hamas and rescuing hostages.
The statement comes amid intense speculation over a possible full reoccupation of the Gaza Strip, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces mounting domestic and international pressure.
While Israel claims to control 75% of the territory, it has yet to recover all hostages held by Hamas since the October 2023 attack. At least 50 hostages remain, with 20 believed to be alive.
Meanwhile, Gaza is on the brink of famine, with more than 60,000 Palestinians reported killed since the war began, most of them civilians, and nearly 200 people dying of starvation, half of them children, according to local health authorities.
Though Netanyahu was expected to meet his security Cabinet on Thursday (August 7) evening to discuss expanding operations, senior military officials, including Israel’s chief of staff, have reportedly opposed a full-scale reoccupation. They argue it could endanger hostages, deepen international isolation, and drag Israel into a long-term military and political quagmire, AP reported.
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz supported the military’s right to dissent, saying the army has the “right and duty to voice its opinion” but added that it will implement government policy until all war goals are met.
The pushback comes amid growing calls inside Israel for a diplomatic resolution. Opposition leader Yair Lapid warned Netanyahu against expanding the war, saying after a meeting Wednesday that the public “is not interested in continuing the war” and that reoccupation would be a grave mistake. A Channel 12 poll last month showed majority support for a ceasefire deal in exchange for the hostages.
Despite internal opposition and humanitarian warnings, Netanyahu remains under pressure from far-right allies who advocate for reoccupying Gaza and relocating its population. The UN has called reports of possible expansion of Israel’s military presence in Gaza “deeply alarming.”
Airstrikes continued on Wednesday (August 6), killing at least 135 people in 24 hours, while a food truck accident during a chaotic aid delivery killed over 20 more. As ceasefire talks remain stalled, the future of Gaza —and its roughly two million displaced civilians — remains uncertain.
Also Read: Vladimir Putin to visit India by end of 2025, says Ajit Doval
