Translated with AI
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intends to present the security cabinet with a plan for the gradual annexation of part of the Gaza Strip if Hamas abandons the ceasefire agreement, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Monday evening, citing government sources.
According to the publication, during closed meetings, the head of government told ministers that Hamas had been given a strict time frame – "a few days" to agree to the terms of the truce. Otherwise, Netanyahu emphasized, Israel would begin implementing the plan to annex the Strip until the Palestinian movement capitulated.
According to Haaretz , Netanyahu hopes to strengthen his position within the ruling coalition and retain the support of the far-right Religious Zionism party, which is categorically opposed to any negotiations with Hamas or expansion of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. The party's leader and cabinet member Bezalel Smotrich, according to the publication, called the proposed strategy a "good step" in private conversations, the outcome of which will become clear in the near future.
The newspaper also claims that Netanyahu's plan allegedly received approval from the administration of former US President Donald Trump, but the prime minister's office has not officially confirmed this fact.
Meanwhile, the prime minister's press service issued a statement according to which Israel will continue to cooperate with international organizations, the United States and European countries to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. "Despite the grave humanitarian situation, Hamas seeks to gain political advantage by creating an image of a humanitarian crisis," the statement noted.
Tensions in the region remain, and further developments in the situation will largely depend on the position of Hamas and the reaction of the international community.
