Can you imagine a nation taking full control of a territory amidst ongoing conflict? That’s exactly what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at this week when he suggested that Israel would ‘take control of all Gaza’. This bold statement, which escalates tensions in the already war-torn Palestinian territory, has sent shockwaves through international circles and ignited fierce debates across social media platforms.

According to reports, Israel’s security cabinet has approved Netanyahu’s proposal to occupy Gaza City, the northern part of the Palestinian enclave. While the Prime Minister’s Office has yet to confirm the details of this significant escalation, the news broke first via Axios, revealing that preparations are already in place.

In a report by Axios, journalist Barak Ravid quoted the Prime Minister’s Office stating, “The Political-Security Cabinet approved the Prime Minister’s proposal to defeat Hamas. The [Israeli military] will prepare to take over Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones.” This dual approach of military strategy combined with humanitarian concerns adds layers of complexity to the already intricate reality in Gaza.

Further details unveiled by Ravid indicate that Israel’s goal includes evacuating all Palestinian civilians from Gaza City to designated central camps and other areas by October 7. Notably, this plan includes imposing a siege on the remaining Hamas militants while also carrying out a ground offensive in the city.

Shihab Rattansi, Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Washington, noted that Israel’s intentions to occupy Gaza have been evident for several days. He pointed out that former President Donald Trump seems to have effectively given Netanyahu the green light to proceed as he sees fit, stating it’s “up to the Israelis.”

In a television interview with Fox News, Netanyahu reiterated his stance, boldly declaring that Israel aims to “take control of all Gaza.” However, he made it clear that Israel does not intend to function as a governing body in Gaza, instead planning to transfer this responsibility to an unspecified third party. “We don’t want to keep it. We want a security perimeter. We don’t want to govern it,” he emphasized.

This discussion follows reports from Israeli media suggesting that the Prime Minister would soon announce plans for a full occupation of the Gaza Strip, with Channel 12 reporting on Monday that “The decision has been made [to occupy Gaza],” citing an unnamed senior official from Netanyahu’s office.

This is an evolving story, and more information will be forthcoming as the situation develops.