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Netanyahu suggests annexing parts of Gaza to appease far-right minister: Report

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 29 July 2025 4:55 PM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to propose a plan to his cabinet for the gradual annexation of parts of the Gaza Strip in an attempt to persuade far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to stay in the ruling coalition.

According to a report by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz published on Monday, the plan would give the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas a few days to accept a ceasefire agreement, and if it refuses, Israel would begin annexing parts of the besieged territory.

The plan will be presented to the cabinet following Netanyahu's decision to increase humanitarian aid entering Gaza, despite opposition from the Religious Zionism party, led by Smotrich, it added.

The report further described the plan as a political maneuver by Netanyahu, suggesting that the intention is to maintain the stability of his ruling coalition by appeasing Smotrich.

According to details provided by Netanyahu during his talks with cabinet ministers, the annexation process will begin with the border areas that separate the Gaza Strip from the occupied territories, notably the internal buffer zone imposed by the Israeli regime.

The annexation is planned to extend to the north of the Gaza Strip, particularly focusing on the areas near Sderot and Ashkelon, with the ultimate goal of annexing the entire Gaza Strip in phases.

Reportedly, Netanyahu claimed during these talks that the plan has received approval from the administration of US President Donald Trump.

Smotrich recently threatened to resign in response to Netanyahu's claim that Israel was allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza. Smotrich informed Netanyahu that he will assess the situation based on actions taken, sources in the political system said.

He also stated that if the annexation plan is carried out, he will remain in the cabinet for the time being.

The Israeli regime resumed airdropping aid to Gaza on July 26, following months of widespread hunger crisis, after over 100 international aid agencies issued a warning about the increasing spread of mass starvation in the territory.

The human rights organization Euro-Med described the airdrops of aid into Gaza as yet another "act of humiliation and degradation" against Palestinians, saying they fail to meet the minimum humanitarian needs and does not alleviate the catastrophe caused by Israel's deliberate starvation policy.

At least 147 Palestinians, including 88 children, have died from starvation since Israel began its war on Gaza in October 2023. Most of these deaths have occurred in recent weeks, Gaza's Health Ministry said.

Meanwhile, a large amount of humanitarian aid is still held up at Gaza's borders due to ongoing restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities.

The distribution of aid is limited to certain centers under the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF), where Israeli forces have killed over 1,000 Palestinian aid seekers and left more than 5,000 others injured in the past few months.