Netanyahu Says Israel 'Intends To' Take Full Control of Gaza to 'Liberate Ourselves And The People Of Gaza From Hamas'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country's political echelon intends to take full control of the Gaza Strip to "ensure our security and remove Hamas."

Speaking to Fox News, Netanyahu said the goal is to "enable the population to be free and pass it to civilian governance that is not Hamas or anyone advocating for the destruction of Israel."

"We want to liberate ourselves and the people of Gaza from the awful terrorists of Hamas," Netanyahu added.

It is not yet clear what the strategy will look like, but according to Israeli outlet Channel 12 reporter Amit Segal, it will begin with the evacuation of Gaza City, where almost 1 million people leave.

Segal detailed that the evacuation notice for Gaza City will lead to weeks of preparations where there won't be any fighting to allow for the building of infrastructure. At the same time President Donald Trump is expected to give a speech announcing the increase of aid into Gaza, expanding distribution centers from four to 16.

The journalist analyzed that the move could be aimed at reaching one of two outcomes: an agreement with the military brass that doesn't involve the full occupation of the strip, considering Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir is reportedly against the scenario; or a scenario that leads to a ceasefire agreement.

49 hostages are still in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.

The decision comes after negotiations to achieve a ceasefire collapsed yet again in July. Reuters noted that U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said last Saturday that he was working with the Israeli government on a plan to effectively end the war in the enclave.

The outlet quoted another senior Israeli official who said that after the meeting "an understanding was emerging between Washington and Israel" on a need to shift from a partial deal to one that would "release all the hostages, disarm Hamas, and demilitarize the Gaza Strip."

The Netanyahu government could move forward despite warnings from almost 20 former senior security officials, who on Sunday issued a joint video calling for the war to end. They argued that Israel has lost more than it won and that the fighting has continued for political reasons rather than military ones.