Israeli forces continues its closure of the Karm Abu Salem and Beit Hanoun crossings in the Gaza Strip as Gazans observe Ramadan [GETTY]
Israel’s government is expected to approve military operations in Gaza if no breakthrough occurs in last-minute captives agreement negotiations, according to military sources cited by Israeli media on Sunday.
The military intelligence directorate, Shin Bet (Israel’s internal security agency), and the Southern Command have reportedly expanded their list of alleged “Hamas targets” across Gaza during the ceasefire.
This expanded “target bank” is designed to enable a staged escalation of military operations to pressure Hamas leadership if talks for the release of captives fail. One option under consideration is the re-occupation of areas in northern Gaza, a JPost report said.
This development follows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with a delegation that returned from Qatar to discuss Gaza ceasefire negotiations, his office announced on Saturday.
Netanyahu has ordered preparations for negotiations under a US proposal presented by President Donald Trump’s Special Mideast Envoy, Steve Witkoff.
According to Israeli media, the proposal — discussed in Doha — includes the immediate release of 11 Israeli captives and the remains of half of the deceased captives. Israel’s state broadcaster KAN reported that the US envoy also suggested extending the ceasefire for 60 days in exchange for 10 captives being released.
While Israel claimed to have accepted the proposal, Hamas insists that negotiations for the second phase must begin — a condition Israel has so far refused.
Meanwhile, Israel continues to block life-saving humanitarian aid from entering Gaza for the 15th consecutive day, claiming the move is intended to pressure Hamas into accepting the deal. Since the first phase expired on 2 March, Israel has closed the Karm Abu Salem and Beit Hanoun crossings, preventing aid from reaching the enclave and raising fears of widespread hunger.
The blockade, which coincided with the start of Ramadan, has triggered sharp increases in prices and left many goods scarce.
A United Nations group of experts has accused Israel of “militarising famine” by violating the ceasefire agreement and suspending aid deliveries.
Israeli attacks on Gaza have continued despite the ceasefire, with recent strikes killing a Palestinian man in central Gaza, two more overnight in the same area, and nine others in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza.
Israel’s war has killed over 61,000 Palestinians since October 2023, including the 14,000 missing or trapped under the rubble now presumed dead.
Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces continue their violent raids. In Jenin, Israeli forces set fire to homes, fired flares near a school, and blocked access to Jenin Government Hospital while soldiers patrolled the camp and nearby villages.
In Tulkarm and Nour Shams, Israeli forces have raided and destroyed homes, displacing residents, while in Salfit, soldiers have been uprooting olive trees and blocking the town’s northern entrance for four consecutive days.
Over 900 civilians have been killed in the occupied West Bank since October 2023.
