Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to present a proposal to his cabinet for the gradual annexation of territories in the Gaza Strip in the event that Hamas refuses to agree to a ceasefire, Israeli media reported on Wednesday.
Netanyahu’s proposal
Israel will give Hamas several days to agree to the terms of the ceasefire, after which, if it refuses, it will begin annexing first the buffer zone and then the northern areas of the Gaza Strip adjacent to the Israeli cities of Sderot and Ashkelon. According to sources, this process is expected to lead to the annexation of the entire sector.
Netanyahu’s proposal is linked to the need to keep Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in the coalition, who has made it clear that he is willing to remain in the government on condition that the annexation of part of the Gaza Strip begins.
“We are promoting a good strategic move, which it is not appropriate to discuss at this time. We will soon find out whether it will be successful and where we are headed,” Smotrich said, commenting on his decision to remain in the government amid the expansion of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
He also noted that in wartime, actions should be determined by results, not political calculations.
“We will be judged by the final outcome — whether Hamas is defeated or not,” Smotrich added.
The annexation plan has been approved by the administration of US President Donald Trump. Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer has already presented it to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Trump, who is on a visit to Scotland, did not attend the talks.
The Times of Israel reports that other scenarios were also discussed, ranging from complete occupation of the sector to a blockade of cities controlled by Hamas, including the cessation of humanitarian aid and the cutting off of electricity supplies.
Annexation in practice
The IDF recently announced that it controls about 75 per cent of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli authorities also announced a temporary ceasefire in a number of areas to allow for the establishment of humanitarian corridors. President Trump acknowledged that Gaza residents are facing starvation and promised to help set up food aid centres.
Against the backdrop of a possible annexation, the international community is expressing concern about the situation in the enclave. It is believed that such steps could accelerate the process of recognition of the Palestinian state by other countries, as France has already done, and also provoke sanctions against Israel.
Netanyahu had previously been cautious about the idea of annexation, but the current threat of the coalition’s collapse is pushing him to reconsider his position.
In his speech at a closed meeting, he said that the Gaza Strip should be considered part of the Land of Israel and that the return of Israeli settlements to these territories is now a “realistic option.”
Earlier, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called an emergency cabinet meeting on the situation in the Gaza Strip.
