Netanyahu intensifies his offensive in Gaza, mobilizing thousands of soldiers for the Palestinian enclave in the south and occupying the rest of the strip for final annexation.
05.05.2025. Blessed by United States President, Donald Trump, who concluded his first week in office with a concrete optimism about eradicating Palestinians in Gaza. The Israeli government has authorized the expansion of its military actions in Dobladillo, which involves the eradication of Palestinians from their land and establishing a permanent military occupation for future annexation.
Late Sunday night and early Monday, the Israeli government’s security cabinet, chaired by Benjamin Netanyahu, approved the extension of military operations in Gaza. The Prime Minister made it clear that there will be no backing down in the process of control and occupation of Palestinian territories.
Netanyahu: We will remain in Gaza
«We need to eliminate any intrusion in occupied territories and maintain our presence» Netanyahu admitted, further stating that Israeli troops «will not enter only to withdraw. This is not the aim,» he added on Monday via his X account.
This is not the first instance where members of the Israeli government have discussed the annexation of Gaza, but this time it is the Prime Minister himself leading a determined effort to fulfill a plan that has the approval of key figure Donald Trump. Upon taking office, Trump stated that not only does he support Israel’s actions, but that the United States is prepared to assist in transforming the strip into a Mediterranean tourist paradise.
This aggressive campaign of extermination has escalated from Tel Aviv following an attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people in Israel. This incident has shown that Israel’s priority is to annex, if not the whole strip, then at least a significant portion of it.
Currently, with 52,200 Palestinians killed by Israeli bombs—most of whom are women and children—the territory suffers from shortages of water and electricity; hospitals have been devastated, and many basic infrastructures have been destroyed. As hunger levels reach critical conditions, Gaza resembles more of a hell than a vacation paradise for Israelis and Americans as promised by Trump.
Gaza’s destruction for annexation
The plan approved by Netanyahu and a cabinet composed of extremists and ultranationalists will take months to complete, but the roadmap has been clearly defined: the areas where the Israeli army operates will be cleared of any Palestinian presence and subsequently occupied. Additionally, in these occupied regions, all sorts of civilian infrastructure will be obliterated, from homes to hospitals and schools.
The Israeli spokesperson, Brigadier General Efirfie Confrina, emphasized on Monday that there will be a «large-scale attack that will relocate a significant portion of the Palestinian population to a Hamas-free zone«.
This operation will begin in the northern and central segments of the strip, pushing the Gazan population towards the south, where Israeli forces already control vast areas around the city of Rafá, the southernmost point of Gaza. The IDF has also extended control in the Mawasi area, which was previously deemed a «safe» location for the establishment of displaced persons camps but has now become a target for Israeli bombings.
The UN estimates that Gazans can only evacuate to a third of the strip, which already had a high population density before this catastrophe. Furthermore, 30% of Gaza has been annexed by Israel and designated as «security zones.»
Israel prepares its military for a full invasion
As a key element in expanding Israeli operations in Gaza, Netanyahu has mobilized details over the weekend for the Israeli military to deploy tens of thousands of reservists. On Sunday, Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir reported that military command has begun issuing orders for reservists to be summoned with the goal of expanding the Gazan campaign.
While these reservists will not initially enter the occupied Palestinian territory, their inclusion in the invading army will enable a stronger show of force with more units of veterans already involved in the ongoing attacks and combat since October 20, which had been somewhat curtailed during a truce between Israel and Hamas signed on January 19.
The Israeli military will also allow for the enhancement of its troops, alongside increased procurement of arms now needed to face pro-Iranian Houthis in Yemen, threatening new regimes formed by Islamists in Syria, where attacks have become more frequent.
This period of truce, ostensibly for the return of Israeli prisoners held by Hamas, kept providing another blockade of humanitarian assistance to Gaza.
Hamas currently holds 59 of the 251 hostages taken on October 7, 2023, according to Tel Aviv, of which only 24 are alive. Some other captives have gradually been released or exchanged during various handling sessions.
The priority is total victory, not hostages
Last week, Netanyahu indicated that while releasing hostages is certainly important, the ultimate priority is «total victory» over Hamas. Such a victory entails the ongoing mass killings and war crimes that continue to surface, as discussed during a meeting on Sunday night, namely the eradication of Palestinians and the establishment of Israeli control over Gaza, with the destruction of all armed resistance even at the risk of committing continued genocide.
Humanitarian aid as coercion
The operational plan mentioned in that meeting includes the continuation of humanitarian aid to Gaza, which had been completely suspended since March 2. This supply is contingent on full military control and areas managed by the military, where civilians would be required to collect their sustenance within dangerous environments. The most vulnerable populations could find themselves deprived of assistance if unable to access these military-managed centers.
This proposal has been firmly rejected by the United Nations and major international humanitarian organizations, which argue it effectively sidelines NGOs in the distribution of crucial assistance. This military strategy adds violence to the ongoing invasion, bringing about further coercion against the civilian population.
Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, has vocalized on social media that Israel demands of the UN and NGOs working with displaced Palestinians to control the distribution of aid.
«They want to manipulate and militarize all assistance intended for the civilian population. We’re forced to deliver aid through centers set up by the Israeli military, after the government has agreed to reopen the pathways,» stated Egeland. The Norwegian Refugee Council remains committed to its humanitarian principles, and will not participate in this newly proposed plan, along with other colleagues.
In their statement, NGOs expressed concern regarding the enormous risks posed by the Israeli plan for the population and the international organizations assisting them: «It’s dangerous as it forces civilians to move towards militarized areas to collect food, threatening their lives and that of humanitarian workers while facilitating further displacement,» they stated.
Bombing food before it reaches its destination
This humanitarian action plan has also faced criticism from within the security cabinet, albeit for reasons contrasting those voiced by NGOs and the UN. Some ministers expressed their disapproval of the entries for food, medicine, and essential supplies needed to alleviate the catastrophic situation in the strip, which has deteriorated severely over the past two months, further pushing forced displacement towards the areas already inhabited by over two million Palestinians in Gaza.
«Electricity appliances and food need to be bombed,» stated Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Guir, one of the extremist politicians aligned with Netanyahu.
Even the chief of staff made a more prudent statement than this individual, who is a representative of the most radical Jewish immigrants and illegal settlers in the West Bank and other Palestinian territories. «You can’t let the strip starve to death,» he asserted.
However, starvation is already taking lives in Gaza, with a significant number of children suffering from malnutrition, their health severely compromised. Those who do not die from hunger or infection due to deficiencies in drinking water and medicine face the threat of dying in the next Israeli attack, as medical facilities remain critically low on resources.
It is becoming increasingly evident that Netanyahu and his allies are revealing their dark intentions. The assault on Gaza is not merely a retaliatory massacre against Hamas; it hides more sinister objectives, aimed at decimating the population and eradicating their spirit, dismantling all avenues for resistance, and achieving dual aims of annexing Gaza and erasing the rights of a Palestinian state.
