A senior UN official has warned of “catastrophic consequences” if Israel expands its military operations in Gaza, following reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing for a full-scale reoccupation of the territory.
A “Deeply Alarming” Prospect
UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca told the Security Council that such a move would be “deeply alarming” and would endanger the lives of millions of Palestinians, as well as the Israeli hostages still held by Hamas.
According to Israeli media, Netanyahu plans to meet with his security cabinet this week to discuss the options. One senior Israeli official was quoted as saying, “The die is cast. We are going for a full-scale occupation of the Gaza Strip – and the defeat of Hamas.“
The cabinet meeting, expected to be held on Thursday, must approve any decision on this step. However, it has been suggested that the plan may be a negotiating tactic to pressure Hamas after the recent breakdown of ceasefire talks, or an attempt to secure the support of Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners.
In his statement, Jenca underlined that “this would risk catastrophic consequences for millions of Palestinians and could further endanger the lives of the remaining hostages in Gaza.” He added that, under international law, Gaza “is and must remain an integral part of a future Palestinian state.”
