JERUSALEM, Aug 8 — Nearly two years into the war, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel plans to take full control of Gaza — but insists it does not want to govern it.
Speaking to Fox News, Netanyahu explained that his government’s vision is to establish a security perimeter, hand governance over to Arab forces, and ensure Gaza’s people can live better lives without Hamas’s control. “We don’t want to keep it… we don’t want to govern it,” he said.
The announcement came as his security cabinet gathered in Jerusalem to review updated war strategies. But outside the cabinet room, emotions were raw. Hundreds of protesters, including relatives of hostages, gathered to demand a truce and a deal to bring their loved ones home.
“The only way to bring the hostages home is to halt the war and end the suffering,” said protester Sharon Kangasa-Cohen, her voice shaking with emotion.
For many in Israel, the bigger offensive Netanyahu is reportedly considering raises heartbreaking questions: what will it mean for the hostages still in captivity, for the soldiers sent in, and for the civilians on both sides who continue to bear the brunt of the fighting?
In Gaza, the fear is immediate and urgent. “Ground operations mean more destruction and death,” said Ahmad Salem, 45. Families there are already grappling with severe food shortages. The World Health Organization reports at least 99 people have died this year from malnutrition — likely a fraction of the real number.
The UN says Gaza needs at least 600 trucks of aid a day to meet basic needs. Right now, just 70–80 enter daily, and even those face delays from strict inspections.
Prices for food have soared beyond reach. Displaced father Mahmoud Wafi, 38, summed it up simply: “We can no longer afford these extremely high and unrealistic costs.”
As politicians debate strategy and the military weighs risks, ordinary people — Israelis and Palestinians alike — are pleading for something more than control: they are asking for safety, dignity, and the chance to live without fear.
