Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to present a proposal for the complete reoccupation of the Gaza Strip to his security cabinet, a move that has sparked deep concerns both within Israel and internationally.

According to Israeli media, the plan would see Israeli forces take full control of all areas in Gaza, pushing far beyond the current 75 percent military hold.

A senior Israeli official, quoted in local reports, stated: “The die has been cast. We're going for the full conquest of the Gaza Strip, and defeating Hamas.” The same official appeared to dismiss any internal resistance, saying, “If that doesn't work for the chief of staff, he should resign.”

However, top military leaders, including the army chief, are reported to oppose the plan, warning of its potential risks, especially to the remaining Israeli hostages.

Of the 50 believed to have survived since the 7 October 2023 attack, only 20 are thought to still be alive in Gaza. Families of hostages fear that an expanded military campaign could further endanger their loved ones.

Public opinion in Israel also appears to be leaning against a full-scale reoccupation, with recent polls showing that three out of four Israelis support a ceasefire deal focused on securing the return of hostages.

Many of Israel’s international allies are also likely to condemn such a move, as they continue to push for an end to the war and for increased humanitarian access to the besieged enclave.

Within Israel, a group of retired security officials, including former heads of intelligence, have urged the United States to intervene.

In a letter to President Joe Biden, they called for pressure on Netanyahu to end the war. One of the signatories, former domestic intelligence chief Ami Ayalon, told the BBC that further military escalation would be pointless.

“From the military point of view, [Hamas] is totally destroyed,” he said. “On the other hand, as an ideology it is getting more and more power among the Palestinian people, within the Arab street around us, and also in the world of Islam. So the only way to defeat Hamas’s ideology is to present a better future.”

The proposed plan comes after recent indirect ceasefire talks with Hamas collapsed. In recent days, Palestinian armed groups released disturbing videos of two hostages, Rom Blaslavski and Evyatar David, showing them emaciated and weak.

David, who was abducted from the Nova music festival on 7 October, is seen digging what he says is his own grave in a tunnel.

While some analysts believe the talk of reoccupation could be a pressure tactic aimed at forcing Hamas into new negotiations, others caution that Netanyahu may be determined to follow through.

Israeli army radio has reported that military leaders are already discussing initial steps to surround central refugee camps and carry out fresh air and ground attacks.

Still, it remains unclear how a full occupation would impact Gaza’s more than two million residents, most of whom have already been displaced multiple times.

About 90 percent of the population now lives in overcrowded and deteriorating conditions. Humanitarian groups and UN officials accuse Israel of blocking crucial aid, saying many in Gaza are starving.

Israel has announced a partial easing of restrictions, allowing select goods such as baby food, fruits, vegetables, and hygiene products to enter through local business channels. These private imports had previously been halted over claims that Hamas was benefitting.

Israel’s military has so far avoided occupying some parts of central Gaza, largely due to concerns about the safety of hostages. In an earlier incident, six hostages were executed by their captors following an Israeli ground incursion.

The Palestinian Authority has strongly condemned the reported reoccupation plan, calling on the international community to prevent what it described as another military occupation.

Palestinian leaders have warned that far-right Israeli ministers have long advocated for permanent control of Gaza and the return of Jewish settlements, which were dismantled in 2005 when Israel withdrew its forces from the territory.

The proposal also comes at a time when momentum is building internationally for a two-state solution.

The UK and Canada recently joined France in expressing conditional support for recognising a Palestinian state, adding to mounting pressure on Israel to pursue a political settlement.

Netanyahu is expected to convene a full meeting of the security cabinet in the coming days to finalise the plan. However, critics say the proposal reflects more political survival than strategic clarity.

Commenting in Yedioth Ahronoth, columnist Nahum Barnea wrote: “Netanyahu has never taken a gamble on this scale before,” adding that “it seems that Netanyahu has just one objective in the war in Gaza, to prolong the war.”

The war began after Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. According to the Hamas-run health ministry, at least 61,020 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza by Israeli forces.