Netanyahu calls for accelerating the takeover of Gaza despite warnings
Hamas denounces Israel’s approval of a military plan as disregard for mediation efforts, holding Tel Aviv and Washington fully responsible for the consequences of the operation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered a faster takeover of Gaza than initially planned, despite mounting international pressure to end the war, growing warnings of a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, and renewed concerns for the fate of Israeli hostages.
The decision to accelerate the offensive on “the last Hamas strongholds” raises questions about the prospects for a peaceful settlement, given the deep divisions among the parties involved and the intensifying tensions on the ground.
On Wednesday evening, Netanyahu’s office announced that the “timeline for seizing the last terrorist strongholds and defeating Hamas” should be shortened, without providing further details.
This announcement came alongside Defense Minister Israel Katz’s approval of a military plan to seize Gaza City, ordering the mobilization of 60,000 reservists in preparation, even as Israel has yet to formally respond to a proposed ceasefire aimed at ending the nearly 22-month-long war.
Hamas swiftly condemned the Israeli move, calling it “a disregard” for Arab and international mediation efforts to halt the conflict. In a statement, the group said the army’s announcement of what it termed “Operation Gideon’s Chariots 2” against Gaza marked an escalation of “an ongoing genocidal war for over 22 months” and contempt for mediators’ efforts.
The group accused Netanyahu of obstructing a possible agreement that would end the war and secure the release of Israeli hostages. Hamas declared that “Netanyahu’s refusal to respond to the mediators’ proposal proves he is the true obstacle to any deal, showing no concern for the lives of his captives and no genuine intention to recover them.”
Since the war broke out on October 7, 2023, Israel and Hamas have engaged in several negotiation rounds, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States. Two temporary truces led to exchanges of Israeli hostages for Palestinian detainees but failed to bring about a permanent ceasefire or the release of all captives.
On Monday, Hamas informed Qatar and Egypt it had agreed to a new truce proposal, while Cairo stressed that “the ball is now in Israel’s court.”
Hamas further warned that Israel and the United States bear “full responsibility for the consequences of this criminal operation.”
The developments have deepened the anguish of Israeli hostage families, some of whom protested Wednesday near the border, demanding the release of their loved ones.
The march began at Kibbutz Be’eri and moved toward the Nova music festival site, passing through two areas attacked by Hamas on October 7, 2023, as a military spokesman announced a new phase of the war.
Families of the 50 remaining hostages—of whom at least 20 are believed to be alive—fear the worst. “Military pressure does not save the hostages; it kills them,” said Ofer Braslavsky, father of Rom, who appeared emaciated and frail in a Hamas video released in early August.
“Forty-two hostages walked into Gaza on their feet… and came back in body bags. I don’t want my son to be number 43! My son is hungry, thirsty, terrified, tortured, and dying. No one has the right to sentence him to death,” he added.
Maccabit Meir, aunt of twins Gali and Ziv Berman, accused Netanyahu of mobilizing tens of thousands of reservists for “a mission with no purpose” that endangers “our loved ones.”
Although military spokesperson Evi Diveren said Wednesday night that Israeli forces had already taken control of Gaza’s outskirts, it remains unclear when the full-scale ground assault will begin. Media reports suggest residents of Gaza’s largest city may be evacuated to refugee camps in the central strip by early October.
For more than a week, Israeli forces have been carrying out extensive operations in Gaza neighborhoods, particularly Zeitoun, Sabra, and Tel al-Hawa.
Israel is facing mounting domestic and international pressure to halt the war.
On Thursday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, speaking in Japan at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development, called for an “immediate ceasefire in Gaza” to avoid “inevitable death and destruction” from an assault on the city. He also urged the unconditional release of hostages held by Hamas.
The German government on Wednesday reiterated its “rejection of escalation” in Israel’s campaign, noting it is finding it increasingly difficult to see how such actions would lead to the release of all hostages or to a ceasefire.
French President Emmanuel Macron also criticized the plan to seize Gaza City, warning that the planned military assault “would only lead to an actual catastrophe for both peoples.”
A large segment of the Israeli public is likewise calling for a ceasefire to avoid putting the remaining hostages in greater danger. Meanwhile, the UN and several states are pressing for humanitarian aid delivery to Gaza, which faces the threat of famine, according to the international body.
On Tuesday, an AFP photographer captured scenes of Palestinians rushing to collect sacks of flour distributed in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza. “This is what we call white gold,” said Shouq al-Badri, smiling as flour dust spread over her face while she carried a sack on her shoulder. “It will feed my children.”
Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to official data.
Since the war began, Israeli airstrikes and military operations have killed at least 62,122 people, mostly civilians, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry—figures the UN deems credible.
