PM warns of escalating military pressure and territorial seizures in Gaza unless Hamas frees Israeli hostages. He slams the Israeli “bureaucracy” as the Knesset debates political appointments to the judiciary, a hot button issue.
The Israel Defense Forces will exert “more and more powerful” pressure on Hamas, including the seizure of territory and unspecified additional actions, if the remaining Israeli hostages are not released, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Knesset on Wednesday.
Speaking during the “40 Signatures Debate” — Israel’s equivalent to the British Prime Minister’s Questions — Netanyahu addressed lawmakers in a tense session that included back-to-back opposition speeches before concluding remarks from both the prime minister and opposition leader Yair Lapid.
“If the hostages are not returned, the pressure on Hamas will intensify — and not just militarily,” Netanyahu said. “It will include seizing territory, and doing other things I won’t specify here.”
The comment raised immediate speculation about the IDF’s next steps in southern Gaza, particularly around Rafah, where the last four Hamas battalions are believed to be entrenched near the Egyptian border — and where over a million displaced Gazans have sought refuge.
Netanyahu offered no further detail on what “doing other things” would entail, but senior military sources have indicated that operational plans for a Rafah incursion are complete, pending cabinet approval. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi have both said repeatedly that Israel must “complete the mission” in Gaza to ensure long-term deterrence.
On Democracy, Bureaucracy, and the ‘Deep State’
Netanyahu used the remainder of his remarks to lash out at Israel’s bureaucracy, invoking rhetoric more commonly heard in American populist discourse.
“Democracy is not in danger; the bureaucracy is in danger. The deep state is in danger,” the prime minister said, using the controversial term that implies the existence of unelected officials working to undermine the elected government.
“When I say ‘bureaucracy,’ I mean a small group of officials struggling to maintain the levers of power in the country,” Netanyahu declared, adding: “Democracy is, first and foremost, the rule of the people. It is not the rule of officials, not the rule of former leaders, and not the rule of media outlets.”
Netanyahu emphasized that democracy does not mean unlimited governmental authority, “but it is impossible to expect the government to have negligible power.”
The remarks appeared aimed at critics within Israel’s legal system and security establishment, many of whom have pushed back against key government policies — including controversial judicial reforms that triggered months of mass protests before October 7th.
Political Context and Reactions
Opposition figures accused the prime minister of deflecting attention from failures of leadership in the lead-up to the Hamas attack on October 7, and from what they described as the government’s sluggish and opaque management of hostage negotiations.
Lapid, in his concluding response, criticized Netanyahu for “trying to fight ghosts” instead of presenting a coherent plan to bring the hostages home or secure Israel’s long-term security. “Enough with blaming the media, the judiciary, and imaginary deep states. You’re the prime minister. Act like one.”
Families of hostages, who have been pressuring the government for a deal to bring their loved ones home, issued a mixed response to the prime minister’s comments. Some expressed hope that increased pressure could break Hamas’s resistance, while others warned that military escalation without a clear hostage-release strategy could endanger lives.
Implications for Gaza’s Future
The possibility of permanent territorial seizure inside Gaza — a move likely to provoke international condemnation — marks a shift in public tone from the prime minister, who has previously maintained ambiguity on post-war governance.
While Netanyahu did not explicitly endorse long-term Israeli control, his remarks signal increasing frustration with Hamas’s demands in ongoing negotiations, which have been brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States.
U.S. officials have reiterated their opposition to Israeli reoccupation of Gaza, while backing Israel’s right to dismantle Hamas as a military and governing force. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said this week that any Israeli operation in Rafah “must account for the safety of civilians” but acknowledged that “Hamas cannot be allowed to retain strongholds in Gaza.”
Until how long the unelected “ officials” will harm and treazon Elohim’s apple of eye?
Their judgement is at hand Maranatha!!!