Informed political sources told Yedioth Ahronoth that the security leaders' objections occurred during a nearly ten-hour cabinet meeting, which ran from Thursday evening until Friday morning. They discussed Netanyahu's plan, despite its approval at the end of the session.
The leaders warned that implementing the plan could reduce the chances of reaching an agreement with Hamas to release the prisoners, stressing the existence of less dangerous alternatives, according to the sources.
The meeting witnessed heated exchanges between Netanyahu and the heads of the security establishment, including Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, National Security Council head Tzachi Hanegbi, and Mossad chief David Barnea. The newspaper quoted Hanegbi as saying that a ceasefire could lead to the release of approximately 10 prisoners.
On Friday morning, the Netanyahu government approved a plan for a "gradual" occupation of the entire Gaza Strip. This plan includes displacing residents from the north to the south, occupying Gaza City, and then storming the refugee camps in the center of the Strip. Meanwhile, the United Nations estimates that approximately 87% of the Strip is under occupation or threatened with evacuation, warning of "catastrophic consequences" if military operations expand.
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Dozens of martyrs and wounded as a result of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, and the number of starvation victims rises to 212 people.
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During the ongoing Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, the Israeli army occupied all of Gaza City, except for small areas, and remained there for several months before withdrawing from most of its areas in April 2024, after claiming to have "destroyed Hamas's infrastructure in the city."
From the entire Gaza Strip, parts of Deir al-Balah city and the camps in the central governorate (Nuseirat, Maghazi, and Bureij) remained unoccupied by Israeli forces, but hundreds of buildings there were destroyed by air and artillery bombardment, according to Palestinian officials.
Since October 7, 2023 , Israel , with US support, has been committing genocide in Gaza, including killing, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement, ignoring all international appeals and orders from the International Court of Justice to halt it.
The Israeli genocide left 61,258 Palestinians dead, 152,045 injured, and more than 9,000 missing. Hundreds of thousands were displaced, and famine claimed the lives of many, including dozens of children.
