{"id":16815,"date":"2025-05-01T17:02:25","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T17:02:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.watanserb.com\/en\/?p=16815"},"modified":"2025-05-01T17:02:25","modified_gmt":"2025-05-01T17:02:25","slug":"netanyahu-plans-to-expand-gaza-war-amid-growing-israeli-dissent-over-hostage-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.watanserb.com\/en\/2025\/05\/01\/netanyahu-plans-to-expand-gaza-war-amid-growing-israeli-dissent-over-hostage-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"Netanyahu Plans to Expand Gaza War Amid Growing Israeli Dissent Over Hostage Crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Watan<\/strong><\/em>-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to hold consultations this Friday to discuss expanding the war on Gaza, as confirmed by Israeli media outlets including Channel 13 and Ynet. The meeting aims to assess the situation and approve new military strategies already greenlit by Defense Minister Israel Katz and Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi.<\/p>\n

Netanyahu declared that the \u201cultimate goal of the war is victory over Hamas and Israel\u2019s enemies\u201d, clearly placing the hostage issue in Gaza as a secondary priority\u2014a move that triggered strong backlash from hostage families.<\/p>\n

In a speech at a youth event, Netanyahu stated:\u201cWe\u2019ve rescued 147 hostages alive, 196 total. Around 24 remain alive\u2014we aim to recover the 59, but the supreme objective is victory.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Hostage Families Forum quickly responded, saying:\u201cThe return of abductees is not secondary\u2014it must be the supreme goal of this government.\u201d
They accused Netanyahu of following the hardline path of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, ignoring public consensus that demands the hostages be rescued before any military escalation.<\/p>\n

The tension intensified two days earlier, when Netanyahu claimed there were 24 living hostages in Gaza\u2014only for his wife Sara to interrupt and assert the number is \u201ceven fewer.\u201d The families described this exchange as \u201csowing terror on Memorial Day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Chief of Staff Halevi threatened Hamas with an all-out assault if necessary, during an Independence Day ceremony at the president\u2019s residence.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will strike with full force. The IDF is ready to deliver a decisive blow,\u201d Halevi said, while reaffirming the need to both defeat Hamas and retrieve the hostages.<\/p>\n

\"Israeli
Israel Hamas prisoner exchange<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0Military Escalation and Mobilization:<\/h3>\n