Netanyahu to propose full reoccupation of Gaza, Israeli media report

have a nice day all time. This is the World Report at the top of the hour. I’m Talia Menashe .
We begin with breaking developments out of Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to urge his security cabinet tomorrow to launch what sources describe as “a full re-conquest of Gaza.” Israeli media quote a senior official declaring, “The die has been cast. We’re going for the complete takeover of the Strip—and the final defeat of Hamas.”
That same official, speaking on condition of anonymity, added a blunt warning to the army brass: “If the plan doesn’t work for the chief of staff, he should resign.” The remark comes amid press reports that top military leaders oppose the move, fearing it could doom the remaining Israeli hostages—twenty of the fifty still believed alive.
Across the country, families of the captives are pleading for a cease-fire instead. A new poll shows three-quarters of Israelis want a deal to bring their loved ones home. Yet the government appears to be marching in the opposite direction.
Tonight, the international chorus of alarm is growing. Diplomats from Washington to London warn that a wholesale reoccupation would trigger global condemnation and deepen Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe. Ninety percent of the Strip’s 2-point-1 million residents have already been displaced; aid groups say starvation is spreading.
In an extraordinary appeal Monday, hundreds of retired Israeli security chiefs—including former heads of Mossad and Shin Bet—sent a joint letter to President Donald Trump, urging him to pressure Netanyahu to halt the war. One signatory, ex-Shin Bet director Ami Ayalon, told the PNR:
AYALON [audio clip, calm but firm]:
“From the military point of view, Hamas is shattered. But as an idea it is stronger than ever. You defeat an ideology only by offering a better future.”
The timing is fraught. Indirect cease-fire talks collapsed last week, and Hamas has released three videos showing two Israeli hostages—Rom Blaslavski and Evyatar David—emaciated and forced to dig what David calls his own grave. The images have stunned Israelis and ignited fresh protests.
Meanwhile, the army says it already controls roughly three-quarters of Gaza. Under the emerging plan, troops would pour into the remaining pockets—areas now crammed with more than two million Palestinians—raising urgent questions about civilian safety and the future of humanitarian operations.
In a limited concession today, Israel announced it will allow local Gaza businessmen to resume importing baby food, fruit, and hygiene products—goods long blocked on claims that Hamas profits from them.
But as tanks reposition and helicopter gunships thunder overhead, critics ask whether this week’s leak is itself a pressure tactic—an attempt to force Hamas back to the table.
Still, history looms large. Israel dismantled its Gaza settlements and withdrew troops in 2005. Tonight, far-right ministers openly call for annexation and new Jewish settlements, while the Palestinian Authority warns of “a new Nakba” and appeals for urgent international intervention.
The diplomatic backdrop is shifting as well: the United Kingdom, Canada, and France have all signaled conditional recognition of a Palestinian state in recent days—reviving the long-dormant two-state formula even as Israel signals a move in the opposite direction.
Netanyahu is expected to convene his full security cabinet later this week. Army radio says initial orders could include encircling central refugee camps and intensifying air and ground operations. Veteran columnist Nahum Barnea writes tonight: “After 22 months of bloodshed, Netanyahu’s promise to achieve all war goals rings hollow. His only objective now appears to be prolonging the war.”
We’ll keep you updated as this story develops. For now, this is Talia Menashe with the World Report. Stay with us.