According to an Israeli official, Netanyahu made clear that this plan differs from previous ones in that it moves from raid-based operations to 'the occupation of territory and a sustained Israeli presence in Gaza'.
Israel's security cabinet unanimously approved overnight into Monday a plan to expand operations in the Gaza Strip, sources familiar with the discussion said. The ministers also approved, in principle, a framework for the distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza via foreign companies.
According to an Israeli official, the plan includes relocating the population of the Gaza Strip to the south of the enclave. The official said that Netanyahu has made clear that this plan differs from previous ones in that it moves from raid-based operations to "the occupation of territory and a sustained Israeli presence in Gaza."
"Netanyahu emphasized in the discussion that this is a good plan since it can achieve the goals of defeating Hamas and returning the hostages," the official said, and added that Netanyahu is still pushing for the transfer plan and that negotiations on the plan are currently underway with several countries.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in response that the plan should be named the "Smotrich-Netanyahu plan" to "give up on the hostages and Israel's security and national resilience."
In the statement, they said that this plan is an admission by the government that it is choosing territories over the hostages, which they said is against the will of over 70 percent of Israelis.
The ministers were briefed on a phased plan that includes, as a first stage, the capture or takeover of additional areas throughout the strip and the expansion of the buffer zone held by the IDF, an effort intended to provide Israel with additional leverage in its negotiations with Hamas.
Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar was absent from the cabinet meeting and sent his deputy in his place.
The cabinet ministers also approved, in principle, a framework for the future distribution of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip via private foreign firms. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was the only minister who opposed this proposal, disputing the subject with the IDF chief of staff.
"I don't understand why we need to give them anything – they have enough food there. We should bomb Hamas' food reserves," Ben-Gvir said. The chief of staff responded, "These ideas are dangerous to us," and Ben-Gvir replied, "We have no legal obligation to feed those we are fighting; there's enough food."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intervened, telling the chief of staff that ministers are "allowed to express views differing from those of the military's officers."
Israel's Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara noted that Israel is legally obligated to allow entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. Cabinet secretary Yossi Fuchs noted, "For good order's sake, no minister suggested to starve them." "I didn't say that," replied the attorney general.
Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said, "There is enough food there; I don't understand. Since when are we supposed to automatically give aid to anyone who fights against us? Where exactly is that written in international law?"
At the political level, officials pointed to the expected visit of U.S. President Donald Trump to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in about ten days, as a potential catalyst that could push both sides towards an agreement, despite the significant gaps that remain between them.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement given on Sunday that over the last nine weeks, Israel has blocked all supplies from entering Gaza. As a result, bakeries and community kitchens are no longer operating, and food warehouses have been emptied.
"The design of the plan presented to us will mean large parts of Gaza, including the less mobile and most vulnerable people, will continue to go without supplies," the organization wrote, adding that the plan "contravenes fundamental humanitarian principles, ... It is dangerous, driving civilians into militarized zones to collect rations."
The organization also noted that the UN Secretary General and the Emergency Relief Coordinator have made clear that they will not participate in plans that do not adhere to the "global humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality."
The Israeli cabinet convened on Sunday after the IDF began issuing thousands of reserve call-up orders on Saturday in preparation for the expansion of the campaign in Gaza. According to military sources, it is still unclear how long the new reserves service will last, but it is expected to be a "significant duration."
The IDF also said that Hamas continues to reject proposals brought up in the negotiations, and that the declared goals of the war, chiefly, returning the hostages, have not changed.
Most of the reservists will be deployed to replace regular soldiers currently serving on the northern border and in the West Bank, freeing up more standing army units that are set to reinforce combat operations in Gaza.
This move marks a departure from the planned operational deployment for the next year, which was presented previously to reservists. Even before the call-up orders were released, many commanders and soldiers had announced that they did not intend to report for the next round of fighting, often due to a sense of exhaustion.
After Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that "the supreme goal is to achieve victory over our enemies," chief of staff Eyal Zamir told ministers during the meeting that the return of the hostages is more important, and that the IDF understands how crucial of an objective this is for the tens of thousands o reservists enlisting to serve that purpose.
Zamir also recently made clear to ministers that he opposes appointing the IDF as the distributor of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. Last night, the cabinet approved in principle a framework for the distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza via foreign firms.