Israel is preparing to carry out the final phase of its expansion into the Gaza Strip. Diplomatic and military sources told the American media outlet CNN that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with top defense officials on Friday to finalize the plan.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir have preliminarily approved the plan, significantly escalating the war in Gaza, CNN reports.
Senior Israeli officials have warned for weeks that the military will expand its operations in the besieged territory if there is no ceasefire agreement. Israel says the bombardment of Gaza, coupled with a two-month-long total blockade, is an attempt to pressure Hamas to make concessions in ceasefire negotiations.
"The pressure on Hamas to implement the deal is strong and tension between it and the local population is rising," Israeli military sources tell CNN.
In late March, Gazans took part in what appeared to be the largest protests against Hamas since the war began. In early April, Netanyahu said the war in Gaza had "shifted gears."
"Now we are sharing the plan and increasing the pressure step by step, so that they give us our hostages. And as long as they don't give them to us, the pressure will increase until they do," he said in a video speech.
Meanwhile, Gaza remains in chaos and suffering from hunger. The increase in looting of grocery stores and community kitchens in the Gaza Strip indicates growing desperation as hunger spreads two months after Israel cut off supplies to the Palestinian territory.
Palestinian residents and aid officials said at least five incidents of looting occurred across the enclave on Wednesday, including at community kitchens, merchants' shops and the main compound of the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) in Gaza. (A2 Televizion)
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