Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an Aug. 7 television interview that Israel intends to take military control of the entire Gaza Strip, signalling the most extensive expansion of the 22-month campaign against Hamas. Netanyahu told Fox News that Israeli forces would install a security perimeter but do “not want to govern” Gaza, adding that the enclave would eventually be handed to an Arab-led civilian authority once Hamas is dismantled. The proposal, reviewed the same day by Israel’s security cabinet, would reverse Israel’s 2005 withdrawal from the territory. Senior commanders have warned that a wider ground operation could endanger roughly 50 hostages still held in Gaza; officials believe about 20 are alive. Families of captives and thousands of protesters gathered outside the prime minister’s office in Jerusalem, demanding a negotiated release and an end to the fighting. At a Jerusalem news conference on Aug. 10, Netanyahu said Israel had “no choice but to finish the job” and described a sweep through remaining Hamas strongholds as “the best way to end the war.” He listed five principles for Gaza’s future, including demilitarisation, Israeli overriding security control and a non-Israeli civilian administration. The plan has drawn sharp criticism from the United Nations and several allied governments, which warn that further escalation will worsen Gaza’s humanitarian crisis. The Hamas-run Health Ministry says at least 61,400 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, and aid agencies report a looming famine. Inside Israel, far-right coalition partners press for an even broader occupation while opinion polls show most citizens prefer a hostage deal, leaving Netanyahu squeezed between military caution, global pressure and domestic politics.