Israeli officials approved a plan to capture all of Gaza and hold it indefinitely on Monday, hours after the military announced it was calling up tens of thousands of reserve troops, the Associated Press reported.
Israeli Cabinet ministers approved the plan in an early morning vote on Monday. Israel currently controls roughly 50% of Gaza, and the plan would see Israeli forces expand into the south. Officials said the plan is set to be implemented gradually, with Israeli forces rooting out Hamas control over territories.
The plan would also seek to prevent the militant Hamas group from distributing humanitarian aid, which Israel says strengthens the group’s rule in Gaza. It also accuses Hamas of keeping the aid for itself to bolster its capabilities. The plan also included powerful strikes against Hamas targets, the officials said.
Violence in Gaza has ramped up once again in the weeks since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas collapsed in March. The IDF has also vowed to increase operations against the Houthis in Yemen after the terrorist group fired a missile that landed near Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed retaliation for the attack Sunday and participated in several defense meetings throughout the day. The missile reportedly evaded both Israeli and U.S. missile defenses, according to Israeli media.
“Whoever harms us, we will strike them sevenfold,” affirmed Defense Minister Israel Katz.
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At least eight people were injured in the missile strike, though none of the injuries were life-threatening. Israel has not yet confirmed any specific military retaliation.
Netanyahu noted that the Houthis are an Iran-backed group and said responsibility for the strike ultimately lies with Tehran. He said Israel will retaliate “at a time and place of our choosing.”
Over the weekend, the Israeli Air Force says it struck over 100 terror targets in the Gaza Strip, including terrorist cells, tunnels, underground infrastructure sites, and other military structures.
IDF troops operating in southern Gaza also located weapons caches in the area, dismantled dozens of terrorist infrastructure sites, and eliminated a number of terrorists.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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