Israel’s plans for expanded occupation of Gaza include a full-strength attack

Trump’s agreement reportedly stemmed from seeing the emaciated state of hostage Evyatar David.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

Israel’s security cabinet is expected to approve on Thursday plans for an expanded IDF occupation of the Gaza Strip, with no objections foreseen from the United States.

The Jerusalem Post cited sources saying that the proposal includes sending some five divisions back into the coastal enclave in a push that would last about five months.

This would be a full-strength attack, as it is comparable to the number of soldiers who invaded the Gaza Strip at the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war.

Amit Segal of Channel 12 News reported Wednesday that in the first stage, all those still living in Gaza City would be ordered to evacuate to safe zones.

Israel believes that almost a million people — half the Strip’s population — reside there, although the IDF has recently told specific neighborhoods to leave ahead of expected IDF clashes with Hamas terrorists in those areas.

This stage will last “several weeks,” Segal said, because civilian zones need to be prepared in this central region of Gaza first, such as camps for the evacuees and medical facilities to care for them.

He noted that these humanitarian actions are “also necessary due to the international arena.”

Israel has faced a tremendous amount of criticism, even from friendly countries, over recent weeks due to the perceived starvation in Gaza, although there is plenty of evidence online of well-fed people and fully stocked markets in the Strip.

The next stage, Segal said, would be conquering “the symbol of the Strip, Gaza City” from the Hamas forces left there.

How many would stay to fight the IDF is a major question, as it is possible that the terrorists would do what they have done in most other areas that the IDF has entered after giving prior warning — which is to hide among the civilian population and leave with them through the humanitarian corridors the IDF establishes.

In a move coordinated with the Israelis ahead of time, Segal noted, the U.S. would in parallel fund the quadrupling of food distribution centers in Gaza from four to 16, “to actually surround this whole ‘mini-Gaza’ area” with aid sources.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee confirmed this jump on Wednesday, saying that the U.S. would work through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a private American group that has provided well over a million meals to Gazans since May while preventing Hamas from stealing its aid.

This is meant to complement Israel’s efforts against Hamas, Segal explained, “because it will essentially allow every Gazan to come get aid that does not go through Hamas, that hasn’t been stolen by Hamas.”

The UN itself has admitted that 94% of the aid entering the Strip by truck in the last two weeks has been looted on the way to warehouses, although it would not blame Hamas directly for the thefts.

U.S. President Donald Trump has already said that his focus is now on the humanitarian angle, as what Jerusalem decides to do “is going to be pretty much up to Israel.”

His acquiescence to a strong Israeli military push was reportedly affected by Hamas’ recent propaganda effort, in which the terrorists claimed that the hostages eat what they eat, while filming an emaciated hostage, Evyatar David, being presented with a can of food by a captor’s hand and arm that was strong and healthy.

With a shovel in hand in a cramped tunnel and speaking in a weak voice, David also said he had barely eaten in weeks and was creating his own burial place.

“One U.S. official said Trump was moved by the video released by Hamas of an Israeli hostage digging his own grave. ‘It influenced the president, and he is going to let Israel do what they need to do,’ the official said,” Jason Brodsky, policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), wrote in a post on X.

Gaza Citygaza stripIDFIsrael-Hamas war