«احتلال غزة».. هل تكون «ورقة مساومة» لإبرام صفقة الرهائن ؟

The Israeli occupation government is preparing to approve the recruitment of thousands of reserve soldiers, at a time when military sources revealed that the entry of forces into the center of Gaza City will begin next October. They confirmed that the next two months will be crucial for concluding a deal and preparing the army for an invasion of Gaza, according to the Hebrew website "Walla".

The website revealed that the possibility of using the approval of the plan to control the besieged Palestinian territory as a "pressure tactic" to achieve a prisoner exchange deal has been discussed.

Sources expected that the process of pushing Gazans southward will take place next October, which would provide more time for the possibility of reaching the "anticipated deal," although it raises readiness within the army in preparation for combat.

According to the sources, this possibility of using the control plan as a bargaining chip for a prisoner exchange deal aligns with the decision of the political-security cabinet, which stipulated that the process of relocating the Gazan population should begin on October 7.

The sources added that when the cabinet previously directed the occupation of the city of Rafah, the evacuation of Palestinian residents began within just a few weeks, noting that there is an assessment that setting a distant date for the evacuation of Gaza City was intended to provide a final opportunity to conclude a prisoner exchange deal before military operations commence.

The sources believe that this delay has "additional advantages," as the approximately two-month preparation period will allow the Israeli army to proceed with precise planning, rejuvenate its forces, and enhance the readiness of heavy equipment such as tanks, armored personnel carriers, and heavy engineering equipment.

The plan approved by the Israeli security cabinet on Friday sparked widespread Western and Arab outrage. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described it as a "serious escalation" in the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip for 22 months.

European countries in the Security Council - Denmark, France, Greece, the United Kingdom, and Slovenia - called for an urgent session in New York. All member countries in the council supported the proposal except for the United States.

Thousands of Israelis demonstrated in Tel Aviv on Saturday, rejecting plans to occupy Gaza, demanding a ceasefire and allowing space for negotiations aimed at a prisoner exchange.