Netanyahu Seeks Cabinet Approval for Gaza Expansion Plan/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to seek cabinet approval for an expanded military offensive in Gaza. The proposal follows the killing of 37 Palestinians during Israeli strikes. Families of hostages and international critics warn the move could worsen humanitarian suffering and deepen Israel’s isolation.
Gaza Offensive Plan Quick Looks
- Netanyahu will present a plan to Israel’s Security Cabinet for expanded operations in Gaza.
- The expansion would target areas of Gaza not yet under Israeli control.
- At least 37 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes and shootings on the same day.
- Families of hostages fear the move could endanger the remaining captives.
- Israel faces intensifying international criticism amid calls to halt the war.
- Human Rights Watch and Doctors Without Borders condemned recent aid-related killings.
- Over 61,000 Palestinians have died since the conflict began in October 2023.
- Israel’s far-right coalition pushes for full reoccupation and resettlement in Gaza.
Deep Look: Netanyahu Seeks Cabinet Approval for Expanded Gaza Offensive
TEL AVIV, Israel — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing for formal approval from the Security Cabinet to launch a broader military offensive in Gaza, according to Israeli officials familiar with the matter. The cabinet meeting, scheduled for Thursday, is expected to feature lengthy deliberations over a phased plan to bring full or partial control over remaining areas of Gaza, not yet occupied by Israeli forces.
The plan comes amid escalating domestic and international pressure. Many Israelis — including families of hostages still held by Hamas — are planning large-scale protests over fears that expanding military operations could doom any remaining chances of freeing their loved ones.
Meanwhile, global leaders and humanitarian organizations have condemned Israel’s approach to the conflict, warning that further escalation risks deepening Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe.
37 Palestinians Killed in Strikes
On the same day Netanyahu’s proposal came to light, Israeli forces killed 37 Palestinians in southern Gaza, according to local hospital reports. Many were reportedly heading to a food distribution center run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a controversial U.S.- and Israeli-backed aid contractor. At least 13 of the dead were seeking aid, with more than 50 others injured — many from gunfire.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has accused GHF of operating in unsafe conditions that expose civilians to deadly violence, stating that it has treated nearly 1,400 people wounded near aid sites in recent weeks, including 41 children who were shot.
GHF denies the claims and accuses MSF of participating in a “smear campaign.”
Netanyahu’s Strategy and Political Pressure
Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners have long pushed for a full reoccupation of Gaza, including the reestablishment of Jewish settlements dismantled in 2005. A senior Israeli official, speaking anonymously, said that the military expansion plan is designed to be implemented gradually, ramping up pressure on Hamas and avoiding a full-scale operation that could alienate more of Israel’s Western allies.
Critics argue that the decision is politically motivated, designed to shore up Netanyahu’s political support from ultra-nationalist factions at the expense of broader national security concerns.
Among the plan’s fiercest critics are families of the remaining 50 hostages, who argue that further escalation will likely eliminate any chance of a negotiated release.
“He’s sacrificing our children for politics,” said Yehuda Cohen, whose son is among those held by Hamas.
International Isolation Mounts
Expanding military operations now would further isolate Israel, already under heavy criticism from allies like the U.S., UK, and EU. Rights groups including Human Rights Watch have called for international arms embargoes, citing Israel’s use of force near humanitarian aid centers and shelters.
An investigation by HRW found no evidence of militant activity at two Palestinian schools that were bombed by Israeli forces last year, killing nearly 50 civilians. “These attacks appear to be war crimes,” the group stated.
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
The 22-month war has devastated Gaza, leaving most of the population displaced, food insecure, and without access to clean water or functioning hospitals. The Gaza Health Ministry — regarded by the UN as the most accurate source — reports that over 61,000 Palestinians have died in the conflict so far.
The United Nations continues to warn of an impending famine, and blames the collapse of aid operations on unsafe delivery zones and Israel’s selective approval of aid groups like GHF.
UN-backed agencies say the current approach forces desperate Palestinians to enter military-controlled zones to access food — a situation they liken to “weaponizing hunger.”
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