The Israeli newspaper Haaretz has reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented a proposal to the Security Cabinet that includes a plan to annex parts of the Gaza Strip—a move intended to keep far-right Minister Bezalel Smotrich within the governing coalition should the prisoner exchange deal with Hamas collapse, despite it receiving approval from the Trump administration.
According to the same report, Israel has given Hamas a deadline of a few days to either agree to a ceasefire or face the implementation of a phased annexation plan for Gaza.
Occupation Ministers Push for Full-Scale Invasion
Other Hebrew-language media revealed that members of Israel’s security and political cabinet now believe that a decision to fully occupy the Gaza Strip is imminent.
The newspaper Israel Hayom quoted ministers as saying the prospect of occupation is increasing due to what they claim is a widening gap in negotiations between Tel Aviv and Hamas. They cited the Palestinian movement’s alleged firm stance as a factor accelerating the comprehensive war plan.
The report added that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, head of the far-right Religious Zionism Party, convened a closed-door meeting with his party bloc to discuss Israel’s recent measures regarding the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Humanitarian Aid as a Bargaining Chip
On Sunday, the Israeli army claimed it had permitted limited airdrops of humanitarian aid over parts of Gaza and had initiated what it termed a “tactical pause” in military operations in certain areas to allow aid to pass through.
However, international humanitarian organisations condemned the move as a propaganda stunt, accusing Israel of weaponising starvation by continuing to block aid crossings and using hunger as a tool of collective punishment against Palestinian civilians.
On Monday, Smotrich announced that he would remain in Netanyahu’s government, after previously threatening to resign if humanitarian aid was allowed into Gaza.
Gaza’s Hunger Crisis Worsens
The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported on Sunday that the number of Palestinians killed while waiting for aid has reached 1,132 martyrs, with over 7,521 wounded since May 27.
As of Monday’s update, 147 Palestinians—including 88 children—have died from starvation and malnutrition since the start of the war on October 7, 2023.
The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, stated Monday that one in every three Palestinians in Gaza has not eaten in days, calling for immediate and unhindered humanitarian access to avert further catastrophe.
A Genocidal War Under U.S. Protection
Since October 2023, the Israeli occupation has waged a genocidal war in Gaza, marked by mass killings, deliberate starvation, total destruction, and forced displacement. These acts have continued in defiance of international appeals and clear orders from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) demanding an end to hostilities.
With American support, this brutal campaign has resulted in over 204,000 Palestinians killed or wounded, the majority of them women and children, in addition to more than 9,000 missing, hundreds of thousands displaced, and a worsening famine that has already claimed the lives of dozens of children.
Strategic Analysis
Netanyahu’s annexation threat underscores a dangerous shift in Israeli policy—from temporary occupation to permanent colonisation. By linking this proposal to internal coalition politics, Tel Aviv is using Gaza’s blood and hunger as bargaining chips in its own political game.
Meanwhile, the suffering of the Palestinian people continues unabated, exacerbated by a silent international community and a Western media narrative that seeks to sanitise the horrors of a military campaign rapidly being recognised as genocidal in nature.
