&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Far-right demands full takeover, families push for hostage deal: With Netanyahu's Gaza announcement hours away, here's all you need to know")
Israel is bracing for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s first international press conference since his security cabinet decided to expand the war in Gaza and capture Gaza City. The announcement, set for Sunday afternoon, comes as divisions within the country grow sharper. While some Israelis demand an end to the war and a deal to free the remaining hostages, others insist Hamas must be crushed entirely. Protests in Tel Aviv on Saturday saw thousands demanding the government prioritise hostage negotiations over further military action.
Far right pushes for total victory over Hamas
Pressure on Netanyahu has intensified from his far-right coalition partners. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich criticised the latest cabinet decision, calling it “half-hearted.” “The prime minister and the cabinet gave in to weakness. Emotion overcame reason, and they once again chose to do more of the same, launching a military operation whose goal is not a decisive victory,” he said.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir went further, telling Kan radio, “I want all of Gaza, transfer and colonisation. This plan will not endanger the troops.” Their influence remains crucial to Netanyahu’s grip on power, as his coalition depends on maintaining at least 61 seats in parliament.
Demonstrators in Tel Aviv held up photographs of those still held in Gaza, with relatives warning Netanyahu of the consequences of his plan.
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“If you invade parts of Gaza and the hostages are murdered, we will pursue you in the town squares, in election campaigns and at every time and place,” said Shahar Mor Zahiro, a relative of a slain hostage. Of the 251 people taken hostage during Hamas’s October 2023 attack, 49 remain in Gaza, including 27, the military says, are dead.
International criticism mounts ahead of UN meeting
The cabinet’s decision has drawn widespread condemnation from abroad, including from allies urging Israel to pursue a negotiated truce to free the hostages and ease Gaza’s humanitarian crisis. The UN Security Council is due to meet on Sunday to discuss the latest escalation. Humanitarian groups warn of famine taking hold in Gaza, where the health ministry says at least 61,430 Palestinians have been killed since the war began. Gaza’s civil defence agency reported at least 27 more deaths from Israeli fire on Sunday, including 11 near aid distribution centres.
Netanyahu unmoved by backlash
Despite criticism from both international partners and reported dissent within the Israeli military, Netanyahu has stood by the decision. “We are not going to occupy Gaza, we are going to free Gaza from Hamas,” he wrote on social media late Friday. The war began after Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel, which killed 1,219 people, according to official figures. The conflict has since devastated Gaza, with the situation now reaching a critical juncture ahead of Netanyahu’s announcement.
