Israel advances plans to occupy the Gaza Strip
News | By Easton Martin | August 5, 2025
On August 5, 2025, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu advanced plans to expand military operations to occupy the entire Gaza Strip, including areas believed to house the remaining Israeli hostages.
He convened a security cabinet session to deliberate the strategy after indirect ceasefire talks with Hamas collapsed.
Israel currently controls about 75 percent of Gaza. The proposed escalation would reverse the 2005 disengagement decision and send Israeli forces into the remaining urban areas. Netanyahu said the goal is to complete the defeat of Hamas, secure the release of hostages, and eliminate Gaza as a threat.
At the same time, Israel’s civilian-affairs body, COGAT, authorized limited private commercial imports into Gaza, including food, baby formula, produce, and hygiene supplies.
It is the first easing of restrictions in nearly a year, as international pressure mounts over worsening humanitarian conditions.
