Strikes on Gaza over the weekend pushed the death toll of people killed in the territory past more than 50,000 since the war began, according to local health officials.
Israel launched its offensive after the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attacks in which some 1,200 people were killed and around 250 others taken hostage, marking a major escalation in a decades-long conflict.
Since relaunching the Israeli military’s campaign, far-right member of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s coalition government Itamar Ben-Gvir has rejoined the Cabinet. He and his Otzma Yehudit party, the name translates to ‘Jewish Power,’ left the fragile coalition over opposition to the ceasefire deal, which he said was “reckless” and would undermine Israel’s progress.
Now, Israel appears prepared for the possibility of a new phase of the war if Hamas does not accept the extension proposal, experts told NBC News, warning of the possibility of a broader Israeli occupation of Gaza.
“It is pretty clear and understood that the objective of the current military operation is to pressure Hamas to accept Witkoff’s proposal, not to come back to the negotiation table,” Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, a Tel Aviv think tank, said on Monday.
If Hamas continues to refuse the proposal, Michael said he believed Israeli forces would “increase the military pressure,” with the possibility of Israel looking to “occupy the Gaza Strip” at least with a “temporary military administration” that would aim to dismantle Hamas.
