Netanyahu has stated that Israel plans to take complete military control of Gaza, but he emphasized that they do not wish to govern it.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Thursday (August 7) that Israel intends to take military control of the entire Gaza Strip, marking a significant escalation in the nearly two-year-long conflict, despite growing opposition both internationally and domestically. During an interview with Fox News, when asked if Israel's goal was to take over all of Gaza, Netanyahu replied, “We intend to,” further explaining, “We don’t want to keep it. We want to establish a security perimeter. We don’t want to govern it. We don’t want to be there as a governing body.” He hinted that Arab forces could take over the governance of the area once Hamas is dismantled, although he didn’t elaborate on who might be involved or how that arrangement would work. Cabinet meets to discuss expanding military control in Gaza Netanyahu’s statements came just before a security cabinet meeting on Thursday to deliberate on expanding military control in Gaza. According to two sources within the Israeli government, as reported by Reuters, the full cabinet may not approve any new plans until Sunday. One source mentioned in the news report indicated that the government was contemplating a phased takeover of regions not currently under Israeli control. Palestinians in those areas could receive evacuation warnings weeks ahead of any ground operations. Hamas responds: “A blatant coup” In reaction, Hamas condemned Netanyahu’s comments, labeling them “a blatant coup against the negotiation process.” In a statement, the militant group accused Netanyahu of trying to prolong the war, asserting, “Netanyahu's plans to escalate the aggression confirm beyond any doubt that he seeks to abandon his captives and sacrifice them.

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