<article data-history-node-id="422149" about="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/israel-occupy-gaza-cabinet-approves-expanded-war" class="live-blog-update default clearfix"> <h2> <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/israel-occupy-gaza-cabinet-approves-expanded-war" rel="bookmark"> <span class="field field-title">Israel to 'occupy Gaza' as cabinet approves expanded war</span> </a> </h2> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-field-text"><p><a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/countries/israel" target="_blank">Israeli&nbsp;</a>Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said his country will "finally" occupy the Gaza Strip as Benjamin Netanyahu's government orders the war on the Palestinian enclave to be expanded.</p> <p>The far-right minister said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/smotrich-idf-wont-withdraw-from-gaza-even-for-a-hostage-deal-israelis-should-embrace-the-word-occupation/" target="_blank">Israel will not withdraw from Gaza</a>&nbsp;even if Israeli captives will be freed in return, noting that their release is only possible if Hamas is "subdued".</p> <p>"We are finally going to occupy the Gaza Strip. We will stop being afraid of the word ‘occupation,'" Smotrich told Channel 12 journalist Amit Segal during a news conference.</p> <p>“We are finally taking control of all humanitarian aid, so that it does not become supplies for Hamas. We are separating Hamas from the population, cleansing the strip, returning the hostages - and defeating Hamas,” he said.</p> <p>Israel's plan to expand its assault in Gaza is different to previous operations, with a political&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/sjxfeoblgg" target="_blank">source&nbsp;</a>telling Ynet that Netanyahu told ministers: "We are moving from the method of raids to occupying the territories and remaining in them."</p> <h3>Read more:&nbsp;<a aria-label="Israel to 'occupy Gaza' as cabinet approves expanded war" href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-occupy-gaza-cabinet-approves-expanded-war">Israel to 'occupy Gaza' as cabinet approves expanded war</a></h3> <div alt="gaza" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="6c6e96ff-14d5-41f5-b191-01a7d8ece820" data-langcode="en" class="embedded-entity"> <img src="https://www.middleeasteye.net/sites/default/files/images-story/israel-ordanance-war-gaza-khan-younis-palestinian-child-april-reuters.JPG" width="5500" height="3667" alt="gaza" typeof="foaf:Image" fetchpriority="high"> </div> </div> </div> </article>

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