Israel has sent a threatening message to Hamas: If you do not agree to a hostage deal in the next few days, we will begin punitive measures.
Kan News quoted a senior Israeli official who said that one of the measures being considered is the annexation of the buffer zone created by the IDF in the perimeter of the Gaza Strip. According to the report, the Israelis sent a message on the matter to the mediators.
After completing Operation Gideon's Chariots without reaching a breakthrough on the hostages, the defense establishment is considering several alternatives, including the annexation of territory, enacting martial law, and imposing a "siege" on population centers in the Gaza Strip.
Defense officials said that despite the heavy international pressure to end the war and despite the images coming out of Gaza and the false "starvation" campaign, Hamas's refusal to proceed with a deal obliges Israel to take disproportionate steps.
Israel hopes that before it takes extreme measures, there will be a breakthrough in the talks, making the measures unnecessary.