Middle East: Netanyahu to 'update' Gaza war plan – DW – 08/05/2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with his security cabinet to discuss intensifying military operations in Gaza.
He reaffirmed goals including defeating Hamas, securing hostage release and eliminating future threats from Gaza.
Israeli media reports suggest Netanyahu may push to seize the entire enclave.Israel will partially reopen entry of goods for trade in Gaza through local vendors to decrease its dependence on humanitarian aid, the agency under Israeli military that oversees civil affairs in the Palestinian territories said Tuesday.
"As part of formulating the mechanism, a limited number of local merchants were approved by the defence establishment, subject to several criteria and strict security screening," the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) said.
"This aims to increase the volume of aid entering the Gaza Strip, while reducing reliance on aid collection by the UN and international organizations," the agency said.
Palestinian and UN officials said Gaza needs around 600 aid trucks to enter per day to meet the humanitarian requirements, the number Israel used to allow into Gaza before the war.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that he will convene a security cabinet meeting to update his war plans and instruct the military on how to achieve his objectives in Gaza.
Israeli media outlets, including Channel 12 and The Jerusalem Post, quoted officials as saying the 'updated strategy' may involve expanding the offensive and capturing the entire Palestinian enclave.
According to the reports, cabinet ministers are expected to meet on Tuesday to endorse the plan.
'We must continue to stand together and fight together to achieve all our war objectives: the defeat of the enemy, the release of our hostages, and the assurance that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel,' Netanyahu said at the start of a regular cabinet meeting.
During the meeting, he added that later in the week he would instruct the military on how 'to achieve the three war objectives we have set.'
The plan has not been officially confirmed, but the Palestinian Authority's foreign ministry condemned what it described as a 'leaked' plan and called on the international community to intervene.
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Israel's security cabinet is expected to approve Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to secure the release of hostages by expanding the military offensive in Gaza.
But the prime minister is facing increasing pressure from inside and outside Israel.
On Monday, hundreds of retired Israeli security officials sent a letter to former US President Donald Trump, urging him to push Israel toward an immediate end to the war in Gaza. They called on Trump to "steer" Netanyahu toward a ceasefire.
Later on Tuesday, the UN Security Council is set to discuss the fate of the hostages. But the conversation will likely also turn to Israel's military actions in the Palestinian territory.
In this blog, we take a closer look at all these developments.
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