Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reached a decision for the full occupation of the Gaza Strip, including operations in areas where hostages are held, a source in the Prime Minister's Office told The Jerusalem Post on Monday.
Additionally, on Tuesday morning, an Israeli official told the Post that Netanyahu will convene an extensive meeting on Gaza and a hostage deal, noting that "the prime minister is considering all available options regarding the next steps."
The Israeli official added that US President Donald Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff returned to the US to meet with the president and "a broad consensus that a deal must include all the hostages."
Hamas responds to reports of Israeli occupation of Gaza
Hamas responded to the reports about the intent to conquer Gaza, saying, "Israel's threats are repetitive, worthless, and have no influence on our decisions."
The announcement comes after months of talks in Doha between Hamas, Israel, and mediators to reach a ceasefire-hostage deal.
Hamas demanded that hundreds of trucks of aid would need to enter the Gaza Strip for the terror group to return to negotiations, despite increased international efforts to deliver resources to the Palestinian enclave in a way that would bypass the Islamist rulers of the strip.
Hamas also released videos over the weekend, showing emaciated hostages and claiming that they were starving as a result of widespread famine in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas holds aid to hostages as bargaining chip
While the Red Cross agreed to increase efforts to deliver aid directly to the hostages, in addition to the aid being delivered by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, Hamas responded that the resources would only be allowed to reach the men if Israel opens the humanitarian corridors permanently and halts "all forms of air traffic" during the delivery of packages to the hostages.
This is a developing story.