From the Liveblog of
Monday, May 5, 2025
Likud minister: Goal of renewed Israeli offensive in Gaza is ‘complete occupation of the Strip’
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
The goal of the renewed Israeli offensive against Hamas is “the complete occupation of the Strip,” Culture Minister Miki Zohar tells national broadcaster Kan following the cabinet’s approval of an operational plan for the next phase of the campaign.
“Such a move endangers those who remain in captivity,” the Likud politician acknowledges. “But there is no choice left.”
Zohar argues that the war has taken over a year and a half “because we wanted to bring as many hostages home as possible,” adding that the renewed offensive could bring Hamas to the table in a serious way.
“Hamas may soon realize that it has no choice but to return [the hostages] and exile itself from Gaza,” he says.
Terror groups in the Gaza Strip are holding 59 hostages, including 58 of the 251 abducted by Hamas-led terrorists on October 7, 2023. They include the bodies of at least 35 confirmed dead by the IDF.
Days ago, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “victory” over Hamas, not the return of the hostages, was war’s top goal.
Netanyahu’s comments sparked outrage among hostages’ families, with the Hostages and Missing Families Forum accusing Netanyahu of “falling in line” with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who the previous week had triggered a fierce backlash after he said that “the hostages are not the most important thing” in the war effort.
The Times of Israel Community.