Israeli prime minister vows to increase military offensive and enforce ‘voluntary migration’ plan backed by US President Donald Trump
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday vowed to intensify the ongoing war in Gaza and move forward with a plan proposed by US President Donald Trump to forcibly displace Palestinians from the besieged territory.
Speaking at the start of a Cabinet meeting, Netanyahu claimed that “a combination of military and political pressure is the only way to recover the hostages, not the empty slogans I hear in TV studios,” according to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
His remarks were a direct criticism of prominent Israeli analysts and families of the captives, who have warned that Israel’s military actions are endangering the hostages and accused him of prioritizing personal political gains over their rescue.
Netanyahu insisted that “military pressure is working,” claiming that “it is crushing Hamas’ capabilities and creating conditions for the hostages’ release.”
“We will implement the Trump Plan, the voluntary migration plan. This is our strategy, and we are ready to discuss it at any time,” he added.
On March 4, an emergency Arab summit on Palestine adopted a five-year, $53 billion plan to rebuild Gaza without displacing its residents. Israel and the US rejected the initiative, instead backing Trump’s proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza to neighbouring countries such as Egypt and Jordan, both of which have strongly opposed the idea, along with other Arab states and international organizations.
The Israeli army launched a surprise aerial campaign on the Gaza Strip on March 18, killing over 920 people, injuring more than 2,000 others, and shattering the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement. According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, at least 50,021 Palestinians have been killed and 113,274 wounded since October 2023 (Al Jazeera, 2025). Other sources report the death toll surpassing 50,350 and over 114,400 injuries (Anadolu Agency, 2025).
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the Gaza conflict (ICC, 2024).
The Netanyahu government is becoming “a full-fledged fascist dictatorship” and pushing Israel perilously close to civil war, a prominent left-wing lawmaker has warned.
“I think we are on the verge of a civil war,” said Ofer Cassif, a member of the Israeli Knesset representing the left-wing Hadash-Ta’al coalition. Cassif, currently suspended from parliament for his outspoken stance against the Gaza genocide, painted a grim picture of Israel’s immediate future.
“I won’t be surprised if very soon—in a matter of days, weeks, or maximum months—we are going to see people shooting each other in the streets,” he said.
Thousands of people have taken to the streets across Israel in recent days to protest against Netanyahu’s administration. The protests have been centred on Netanyahu’s actions derailing the Gaza ceasefire and exchange of captives, as well as a continuing series of steps that critics view as an authoritarian power grab.
In recent weeks, Netanyahu has been trying to fire the attorney general and head of the Shin Bet security agency, while also pushing ahead with larger reforms that critics say effectively undermine the independence of Israel’s judiciary.
On Thursday, his coalition passed a highly controversial law giving the government greater influence over judicial appointments, with the opposition boycotting the final vote.
As political and societal tensions threaten to boil over, Cassif cited a recent statement from a “fascist” Israeli professor as an ominous sign of where things could be headed.
“She said we’ve already conquered the police. We’ve already conquered the military. Now, we are going to conquer the Shin Bet,” said the lawmaker. “She actually said that they are preparing for a civil war in which the police, the military, the Shin Bet will support the fascist mobs and militias.”
References:
- Al Jazeera. (2025, March 23). Israeli offensive in Gaza has killed 50,000 Palestinians since October 2023. Retrievefromhttps://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/23/israeli-offensive-in-gaza-has-killed-50000-palestinians-since-october-2023
- Anadolu Agency. (2025, March 2025). Gaza death toll passes 50,350 as Israeli army kills 80 more Palestinians. Retrieved fromhttps://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/gaza-death-toll-passes-50-350-as-israeli-army-kills-80-more-palestinians/3524692
International Criminal Court (ICC). (2024, November). Situation in the State of Palestine: ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I rejects Israel’s jurisdiction challenges. Retrieved from https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/situation-state-palestine-icc-pre-trial-chamber-i-rejects-state-israels-challenges
