Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is weighing an order to seize the remaining parts of the Gaza Strip, a move that would roll back Israel’s 2005 withdrawal and place the enclave under full military occupation, according to multiple Israeli media reports citing senior officials. One official quoted by Channel 12 said “the die is cast,” adding that a decision had already been made inside the prime minister’s office. Netanyahu held a three-hour security meeting on Tuesday at which IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir warned the premier that a full takeover could trap Israeli forces in Gaza and jeopardise roughly 50 hostages still held by Hamas, Israeli officials told Reuters. Despite the push-back, the prime minister plans to present options to the security cabinet, which is scheduled to convene on Thursday evening. Defence Minister Israel Katz publicly backed Zamir’s right to voice concerns but said the military is obliged to implement any government decision. Netanyahu leads Israel’s most right-wing coalition in history, and some partners have threatened to quit if the war ends without Hamas’s “complete defeat.” The war, now in its 22nd month, has already left more than 61,000 Palestinians dead and displaced most of Gaza’s 2 million residents, according to local health authorities. The United Nations said reports of a broader offensive are “deeply alarming,” warning that further escalation would worsen an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis.