The Israeli military has imposed new enforced displacement orders on parts of Gaza City and Khan Younis, raising fears that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is preparing to order a full occupation of the Palestinian territory. Israel's security cabinet is expected to meet on Thursday to sign off on an expanded operation, despite reported serious misgivings from senior military officers.
The orders, described by the Israel Defense Forces as an 'evacuation,' are the latest in a series of announcements that have displaced the vast majority of Gaza's population, many multiple times. US President Donald Trump stated that any decision on expanded Israeli control in Gaza is up to Israel, saying, 'That’s going to be pretty much up to Israel.'
Meanwhile, Gaza's health ministry reported five more deaths from starvation amid a hunger crisis exacerbated by Israel's complete block on aid. Jordan reported that an aid convoy of 30 trucks was attacked by militant Jewish settlers upon entering Israel, the second such attack in days. Jordan accused Israel of failing to prevent the assaults.
In a separate incident, Gaza's civil defence agency said 20 people were killed when an aid truck overturned on a crowd near the Nuseirat refugee camp, as the truck drove on an unsafe road previously bombed by Israel. Acute aid shortages have led to trucks being surrounded and looted by hungry Palestinians.
Israeli media reported that Netanyahu is determined to push ahead with an expanded war, despite opposition from military chiefs including IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, who warned the plan could trap the military in the territory. Critics, including opposition leader Yair Lapid, former Shin Bet heads, and former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, have spoken out against the plan, warning it risks hostages' lives, would take one to two years, and increases diplomatic isolation.
