The Israeli war cabinet convened on August 4, 2025, to discuss the next steps in the ongoing conflict with Gaza. The options on the table were to either end the war and engage in ceasefire talks or to expand the war and reoccupy the entire Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly instructed the Israeli army to conquer Gaza, despite opposition from the army’s Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir.
The decision to reoccupy Gaza was supported by hardline ministers such as National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who are key allies in Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition. They are believed to have played a significant role in sustaining the ongoing Israeli onslaught.
Zamir, on the other hand, had reportedly asked the Israeli government for clarity on the future of the war effort. He discouraged the reoccupation of Gaza, arguing that it would drain the Israeli army.
The discussions took place amid Israel’s announcement of the end of its latest military offensive in Gaza, known as Operation Gideon’s Chariots. Meanwhile, ceasefire negotiations were ongoing, with issues such as famine in Gaza at the center of the discussions.
U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff visited Israel and Gaza, meeting with families of Israeli captives and reaffirming U.S. efforts to reach a ceasefire deal. He also visited the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, where he claimed there was no starvation in Gaza. However, 17 international human rights organizations disputed his claims, stating that starvation in Gaza was real and had already claimed the lives of 159 people, including 90 children.
Last week, Israel handed over its objections to Hamas’s response to Witkoff’s latest ceasefire proposal. The objections included Hamas’s amendments to the Israeli military withdrawal maps and the principle of exchanging bodies of slain Israeli captives for living Palestinian prisoners.
During Witkoff’s visit, Hamas’s armed wing released a video of an emaciated Israeli captive suffering from starvation. This sparked protests by the families of Israeli captives and provoked Netanyahu to comment on the video.
On Sunday, Netanyahu’s cabinet requested the International Committee of the Red Cross to guarantee the entry of food to Israeli captives. Hamas responded positively, provided a permanent humanitarian corridor is established for Gaza and Israeli military aircraft cease flight over the Strip during the entry of aid. Hamas also stated that it would be ready to engage in talks again when the starvation ends.