Hamas Responds to Netanyahu.. Hebrew Channels: Israel is Moving Towards a Gradual Plan to Occupy the Gaza Strip

Translation by SadaNews - Hebrew media outlets reported this Thursday evening that Israel will gradually implement a plan to occupy the Gaza Strip.

According to the Hebrew channel Reshet Kan, as translated by SadaNews, Netanyahu has already made his decision to proceed with a wide military operation to occupy the Gaza Strip, even before the start of the current cabinet session discussing the proposed plan.

According to the channel, the Israeli army will work to occupy the city of Gaza and areas of the central camps, despite warnings from Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir about the danger to the lives of the hostages.

The channel reported that Israeli sources indicated that the operation will begin gradually by asking residents to move south, followed by a siege of the city of Gaza and then executing operations in its depths and various areas.

It was noted that during the cabinet session, ministers emphasized the necessity of occupying the Gaza Strip, while the leader of the Shas party, cabinet member Aryeh Deri, stated that the war has political repercussions for Israel, and the army's plans must be heeded.

Furthermore, Channel 12 reported that the first phase will include occupying the city of Gaza, and the second phase will include occupying the central camps, with the aim of achieving a breakthrough leading to the release of the hostages, indicating that the step of occupying the strip is a method of pressure on Hamas to force it back to the negotiation table.

The channel also reported that members of the negotiation team informed the cabinet that intermediary countries such as Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey are exerting pressure on Hamas to resume negotiations, which is likely to happen next week, according to SadaNews translation.

Netanyahu stated in remarks to American Fox News ahead of the cabinet meeting that Israel plans to control the Gaza Strip but will not govern it.

In response, Hamas stated in a statement that what Netanyahu is planning is a continuation of the genocide and displacement by committing more crimes in Gaza, considering that his statements represent a blatant coup against the negotiation process and clearly reveal the real motives behind his withdrawal from the last round, despite our proximity to reaching a final agreement, according to its statement.

It added: Netanyahu's plans to escalate aggression confirm beyond any doubt that he seeks to dispose of his captives and sacrifice them for his personal interests and extremist ideological agendas, according to the text of its statement.

Hamas affirmed that "Gaza will remain resilient against occupation and attempts to impose guardianship over it, and that the escalation of aggression against our Palestinian people will not be a walk in the park, and its price will be heavy and costly for the occupation and its Nazi army."

Hamas called on Arab and Islamic countries and the international community to condemn and reject these dangerous statements and to take urgent action to stop the aggression and end the occupation, enabling Palestinians to exercise their right to self-determination and holding the leaders of the occupation accountable for their ongoing crimes.