Why Is Israel Seeking To Annex Parts Of Gaza?
Israel has tried to stay out of the Gaza Strip ever since the Disengagement in 2005. But in a world post-October 7, the rules have changed - and here's why.
Veteran political commentator Amit Segal said today (Tuesday) that the reported plan to threaten annexation of parts of the Gaza Strip if the hostages are not released is a brainchild of Finance Minister Smotrich, which is gaining steam within the government and has President Trump's blessing.
According to Segal, the rationale behind the plan is simple: Neither Hamas nor the Palestinians at large seem to care about the massive deaths caused by the war, but they may think otherwise if they permanently lose territory. The idea would be to annex piece after piece of IDF-held land within the Strip, which would only be returned upon the release of the hostages.
Segal said that it's not clear if Hamas will respond accordingly but that the plan to push annexation will likely manifest itself within a few days, not a week, and is meant as a pressure tactic rather than a long-term plan.