Hamas, the armed militant group that controls Gaza, said there is no point in negotiating a ceasefire with Israel after its cabinet approved on Monday plans to capture the entire enclave and remain there indefinitely.
Speaking to the BBC, senior official Bassem Naim said the group would not engage with any new proposals while Israel continued its "starvation war," in reference to the decision not to let enter any more aid over two months ago. Widespread hunger is being reported in Gaza and looting has increased as people scramble to find sustenance.
Israel anticipated it will begin carrying out its plan if there is no agreement by the time U.S. President Donald Trump ends a visit to the region on May 16. Trump is set to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will fly to Israel on May 12.
The Israeli army has begun calling tens of thousands of reserve troops to carry out the operation. A senior defense official told The Times of Israel that the army will "bolster its forces and operate with intensity to defeat Hamas and destroy its military and governmental capabilities, while creating a strong pressure for the release of all hostages." However, families of hostages are warning that their loved ones could die as a result of the operation, including by starvation as food, water and fuel continue to not enter Gaza.
Talking about the humanitarian situation, the official said the "blockade" will continue and "only later, after the beginning of operational activity and a broad evacuation of the population to the south, a humanitarian plan will be implemented." The army expects to distribute aid at a "sterile zone" in Rafah and those there will undergo screening by the IDF to prevent Hamas operatives from taking aid. Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of taking over the aid sent to the enclave, either to distribute it among fighters or resell it to profit.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the country will not withdraw from the enclave even if the hostages are returned, calling on compatriots to embrace the word "occupation." Speaking to local TV networks Channel 12, Smotrich said "we are finally going to occupy the Gaza Strip" and "will stop being afraid of the word occupation."
Smotrich went on to anticipate a push to formally annex the territory in the future, saying "once we occupy and stay" in Gaza "we can talk about sovereignty."
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