Israeli media reports on Monday evening indicated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is planning to expand military operations in the Gaza Strip, with the aim of occupying the entire territory, ahead of a government meeting scheduled for Tuesday that is expected to determine the fate of the ongoing military operation. Although no official decision has been issued, a senior Israeli official confirmed that "the decision has been made" and that Israel will occupy the territory, while other reports suggest that the statements may be part of negotiation tactics to pressure Hamas.

The official stated that Hamas "will not release more hostages without complete surrender, and Netanyahu's government will not back down." He added that "if we do not act now, the hostages will die of hunger, and Gaza will remain under Hamas control." Channels 12 and 13 indicated that a decision to expand the war could be made during this week, and that the government is moving towards resolving the war and recovering the hostages.

In a related context, the newspaper "Yedioth Ahronoth" reported that U.S. President Donald Trump gave Netanyahu the "green light" to initiate a military operation against Hamas, with an agreement between Israel and Washington that Hamas does not wish to reach a peace agreement. Israel and Hamas are working on preparing negotiation files for a comprehensive deal to end the war, while Netanyahu is holding meetings to consider future options.

The newspaper quoted officials close to Netanyahu as saying that Israel is heading towards a "complete occupation of the Gaza Strip" with the aim of "defeating Hamas," with the possibility of conducting operations in areas where Israeli hostages are believed to be located, which may mean Israel abandoning the idea of returning the hostages alive. It noted that there is pressure from right-wing ministers to completely occupy the territory, despite warnings from the Israeli army that this could endanger the hostages and lead to a prolonged war of attrition.

At the same time, Netanyahu promised Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich that if no agreement is reached, he would agree to a "symbolic annexation" of Gaza's borders, despite the Israeli army's opposition to this option, which could endanger the lives of the hostages and require long-term military management. The government is considering three main options: a complete occupation of the territory, imposing a tight military blockade on the central areas, or reaching a comprehensive deal, with expectations that Netanyahu may lean towards combining the last two options to increase pressure on Hamas.

Military leaders consider a severe blockade to be an effective pressure tool, yet increasing international opposition, especially with growing recognition of the State of Palestine, places constraints on the possibilities of full military expansion, which could threaten the lives of the hostages and entail significant political and military costs for Israel.