Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a press conference at the Prime minister’s office on August 10, 2025. AFP
Netanyahu said the military had been given the greenlight to "dismantle" two remaining Hamas strongholds in Gaza City and Al Mawasi further to the south.
"We have about 70 to 75 percent of Gaza under Israeli control, military control. But we have two remaining strongholds, OK? These are Gaza City and the central camps in Al Mawasi," Netanyahu told reporters.
"Israel's security cabinet, instructed the army to dismantle the two remaining Hamas strongholds in Gaza City and the central camps," he added.
"This is the best way to end the war and the best way to end it speedily," said the prime minister.
Netanyahu said the operations were aimed to be done on a short timetable but offered few specifics on how long exactly the war would take.
"I don't want to talk about exact timetables, but we're talking in terms of a fairly short timetable because we want to bring the war to an end," he said.
When asked about the rise in criticism from foreign governments in recent days -- including by staunch ally Germany which announced plans to suspend arms shipments -- Netanyahu said Israel was prepared to go it alone, if needed.
"We will win the war, with or without the support of others," he told reporters.
"Our goal is not to occupy Gaza, but to establish a civilian administration in the Strip that is not affiliated with Hamas or the Palestinian Authority," he added.
Another calamity in Gaza
The Israeli cabinet's decision to expand the war in Gaza has touched off a wave of criticism across the globe and even inside Israel.
On Sunday, the UN Security Council met to discuss the latest development.
"If these plans are implemented, they will likely trigger another calamity in Gaza, reverberating across the region and causing further forced displacement, killings and destruction," UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca told the Security Council.
Foreign powers, including some of Israel's allies, have been pushing for a negotiated truce to secure the captives' return and help alleviate a humanitarian crisis in the territory following repeated warnings of famine taking hold.
Moreover, thousands of people took to the streets in Tel Aviv to protest the security cabinet's decision.
"The new plan is just another plan that is gonna fail, and it could very well be the end of our hostages, and of course, it will take probably more lives of our soldiers," protester Joel Obodov told AFP.
The premier has faced regular protests over the course of the war, with many rallies calling for the government to strike a ceasefire deal after past truces saw captives exchanged for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody.
Netanyahu, however, has also come under pressure from the far right to go harder on Hamas, with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich slamming the new plan as half-hearted.
"They decided once again to repeat the same approach, embarking on a military operation that does not aim for a decisive resolution," Smotrich said in a video posted online.
The far-right members of Netanyahu's cabinet, including Smotrich, have maintained considerable influence in the premier's coalition government throughout the war -- with their support seen as vital to holding at least 61 seats for a parliamentary majority.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, also of the far right, told Kan radio on Sunday: "It is possible to achieve victory. I want all of Gaza, transfer and colonisation. This plan will not endanger the troops."
Israel's war on Gaza has killed at least 61,430 Palestinians, mostly women and children.
According to Gaza's civil defence agency, at least 27 people were killed by Israeli fire across the territory Sunday, including 11 who were waiting near aid distribution centres.
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