In a meeting of the security cabinet on Sunday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed his senior officials that he has the support of U.S. President Donald Trump to reject the temporary ceasefire agreement in Gaza and escalate military operations there, according to the Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Post.
Netanyahu quoted Trump as saying: "Forget partial deals. Go in with full force. Finish the job."
It is noted that the U.S. president has often stated in tweets on his social media platform, "Social Truth," that Israel must complete the mission of eliminating Hamas, as this is the only way to free Israeli hostages and win the war.
On August 18, Hamas accepted a proposal for a 60-day ceasefire, during which both sides are supposed to negotiate a long-term truce, and 10 Israeli prisoners will be released. The United States and Israel had previously proposed a nearly identical agreement, but despite this, neither Israel nor the United States responded to Hamas, while the Israeli occupation army continues to escalate its control over the city of Gaza.
Trump supports Israel's plans to control the city of Gaza after U.N. and U.S. hunger monitors identified a famine in the area due to the Israeli blockade.
Israel's plans include the forced displacement of more than a million civilians taking refuge in the city of Gaza, followed by the complete destruction of the city. According to the Washington Post, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir sought to vote on a resolution during the security cabinet meeting that states "rejection of any partial agreement," but Netanyahu said it was unnecessary. He added: "No need for a vote. It’s not on the agenda, and we should focus on dismantling Hamas."
The report indicated that the majority of government ministers oppose the agreement with Hamas, although Haaretz reported that all military and security officials participating in the meeting, including the Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Eyal Zamir, support it. Zamir said: "There is a framework on the table, and we must take it. The operation in Gaza has created the right conditions for the return of the hostages." Zamir had warned against escalation, stating that it is likely to lead to the deaths of the remaining Israeli hostages and result in heavy losses for the Israel Defense Forces. Reports indicated that Netanyahu and his allies told Zamir that if he did not like it, he could resign, and the Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces eventually responded by publicly expressing his support for the full Israeli military occupation of Gaza.
For its part, Qatar emphasized on Tuesday that there has been no official Israeli response yet to the proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip that was delivered by mediators last month, asserting that humanitarian issues cannot be linked to reaching a deal.
In a press conference, the spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, Majid Al-Ansari, stated that Israel's plan to occupy Gaza poses a threat to everyone, including the Israeli captives.
He confirmed that Israel's actions are now facing regional and international opposition, saying, "The issue is clear to the international community, and a unified stance must be formed to stop Israel," especially with the increasing Israeli statements regarding imposing control over the West Bank.
שתף את דעתך
Netanyahu claims that Trump told him there are no "partial deals," and to proceed "with full force" in Gaza.