Middle East: Netanyahu to 'update' Gaza war plan

The United Nations called reports about a possible decision to expand Israel's military operations throughout the Gaza Strip "deeply alarming" if true.

UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca told a UN Security Council meeting that such a move would "risk catastrophic consequences ... and could further endanger the lives of the remaining hostages in Gaza."

"There is no military solution to the conflict in Gaza or the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict," Jenca said.

The meeting was called by Israel to discuss the plight of Israelis held in Gaza after their captors released videos of two emaciated hostages last week.

Jenca called for hostages held in Gaza to be "immediately and unconditionally released." 

He also called the aid currently entering Gaza "grossly inadequate."

"Hunger is everywhere in Gaza, visible in the faces of children and in the desperation of parents risking their lives to access the most basic supplies," Jenca said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has held talks with army chief Eyal Zamir about possible next steps in the Gaza war, as reports suggest the government is preparing to order the full occupation of the territory.

Netanyahu's office confirmed Zamir presented several options for continuing the conflict, now approaching its 22nd month.

No details were disclosed publicly.

Israeli media reported that Netanyahu favors a complete capture of the Gaza Strip, despite opposition from military leadership. Netanyahu has yet not spoken publicly on the reported plans.  

Any such plan would need approval from the Israeli Security Cabinet, which the television channel N12 said was expected to meet on Thursday.

National broadcaster Kan reported that Netanyahu still leans toward full occupation, even though it could endanger hostages held in Gaza. Israeli estimates suggest about 50 hostages remain, with 20 believed to be alive.

Military leaders are reportedly concerned about the risks such a move would pose for both the hostages and Israeli troops. Netanyahu's office stated that "the army is ready to implement all decisions of the Security Cabinet."

Despite aid being air-dropped into Gaza, the situation on the ground remains dire.

Israel faces mounting pressure to allow more aid to enter through land crossings.

Read the full story on why airdrops are not an effective solution to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says that he believes a reported plan from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take over the whole of the Gaza Strip is "outrageous."

"I think it's a very bad idea," Olmert told DW, adding that such a move would lead to "an endless war with many casualties," both for Israelis and Palestinians.

"Full conquest is a slogan, but what lies behind it is an endless war, which will never end with many casualties among Israeli soldiers, with the loss of the hostages who are still alive, and the the loss of many unnecessary Palestinian victims that will be killed."

Several Israeli media outlets reported yesterday that a full takeover of Gaza was being considered. 

"There is no objective that is worth the cost," Olmert said. 

Despite initially supporting the war, Olmert now believes the Israeli leadership has lost its way.

"After 22 months and so many casualties, many of them uninvolved in terror, so many Israeli soldiers (killed); yet we didn't bring the hostages back," he said.

According to Olmert, the only way to bring back the Israelis held hostage by militant Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad is by ending the war and reaching an agreement. 

If a ceasefire were to be reached, Olmert said a "serious effort" is needed to ensure security and "make sure that Hamas does not recover into any position of influence."

Israel launched its war in Gaza after the October 7 terror attacks carried out by Hamas, which is designated as a terror organization by Isreal, the US, the EU and others. 

Mr. Olmert, who served from 2006 to 2009, was one of Netanyahu's predecessors.

Iranian authorities ordered the closure of government offices and banks across much of the country on Wednesday, as soaring summer temperatures and an escalating water crisis strain the national power grid.

Nine of Iran's 31 provinces are on so-called orange alert for the rest of the week, with the forecast expected to reach highs of 51 degrees Celsius in some parts of the country.

With the country producing some 62,000 megawatts of electric energy per hour but needing some 80,000 megawatts, energy shortage is expected to be an issue.

Southern Iran is bearing the brunt of the heat. Abadan registered temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) on Sunday, ranking the city among the hottest places on Earth during this summer's heat wave.

Israel is allowing more foreign planes to airdrop aid into Gaza, but the ground situation remains dire as each drop delivers far less than a truckload. Over 1,000 have been killed seeking aid since late May, the UN says.

The Israeli military on Tuesday said that it intercepted a missile from Yemen after air raid alarms sounded in several parts of the country.

The Israeli military posted on X that "a missile that was launched from Yemen was intercepted by the Israeli air force."

Later, Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for firing a missile at Israel's main airport.

The Iran-backed rebels targeted Ben Gurion airport "using a 'Palestine 2' hypersonic ballistic missile" in support of Palestinians in Gaza, their military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a video statement.

Israel will partially reopen entry of goods for trade in Gaza through local vendors to decrease its dependence on humanitarian aid, the agency under Israeli military that oversees civil affairs in the Palestinian territories said Tuesday.

"As part of formulating the mechanism, a limited number of local merchants were approved by the defence establishment, subject to several criteria and strict security screening," the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) said.

"This aims to increase the volume of aid entering the Gaza Strip, while reducing reliance on aid collection by the UN and international organizations," the agency said.

Palestinian and UN officials said Gaza needs around 600 aid trucks to enter per day to meet the humanitarian requirements, the number Israel used to allow into Gaza before the war.

 

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that he will convene a security cabinet meeting to update his war plans and instruct the military on how to achieve his objectives in Gaza.

Israeli media outlets, including Channel 12 and The Jerusalem Post, quoted officials as saying the “updated strategy” may involve expanding the offensive and capturing the entire Palestinian enclave.

According to the reports, cabinet ministers are expected to meet on Tuesday to endorse the plan.

“We must continue to stand together and fight together to achieve all our war objectives: the defeat of the enemy, the release of our hostages, and the assurance that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel,” Netanyahu said at the start of a regular cabinet meeting.

During the meeting, he added that later in the week he would instruct the military on how “to achieve the three war objectives we have set.”

The plan has not been officially confirmed, but the Palestinian Authority’s foreign ministry condemned what it described as a “leaked” plan and called on the international community to intervene.

Israel's security cabinet is expected to approve Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to secure the release of hostages by expanding the military offensive in Gaza.

But the prime minister is facing increasing pressure from inside and outside Israel. 

On Monday, hundreds of retired Israeli security officials sent a letter to former US President Donald Trump, urging him to push Israel toward an immediate end to the war in Gaza. They called on Trump to "steer" Netanyahu toward a ceasefire.

Later on Tuesday, the UN Security Council is set to discuss the fate of the hostages. But the conversation will likely also turn to Israel's military actions in the Palestinian territory.

In this blog, we take a closer look at all these developments.