Israel could seize ALL of Gaza in new offensive as Houthis warn of ‘aerial blockade’ following Ben Gurion Airport strike
ISRAEL is preparing to “conquer” all of Gaza in a fresh offensive on the strip, officials say.
It comes as Tel Aviv is also fighting off rocket attacks by the Houthis – who are trying to enforce an aerial blockade on their sworn enemies.
The Israeli cabinet has called up tens of thousands of soldiers as it readies itself to seize and hold the territory in a brutal new attack.
The move would vastly expand Israel’s operations across the 25-mile long area and likely bring fierce international opposition inside Israel.
Officials said the new plan was meant to help Israel achieve its war aims of defeating Hamas and freeing hostages held in Gaza.
It also would push hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to southern Gaza, what would likely exacerbate an already dire humanitarian crisis.
For weeks, Israel has been trying to ratchet up pressure on Hamas and prompt it to show more flexibility in ceasefire negotiations.
But deal makers trying to bring the sides toward a new agreement have struggled to do so.
Army chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said: “This week we are issuing tens of thousands of orders to our reservists to intensify and expand our operation in Gaza.”
Israel has killed hundreds as it has unleashed a bombardment on Gaza since a ceasefire with Hamas collapsed in mid-March.
It currently controls about half of the territory and is blocking humanitarian aid, like food and water, from reaching civilians.
Israel alleges that Hamas takes and then distributes the aid as a way to strengthen its rule in the territory.
More than 52,000 Palestinians have been killed by in 19 months of war, following the deadly October 7 terror attack.
Officials said Israel was in touch with several countries about President Donald Trump’s plan to take over Gaza and relocate its population.
Israel has termed the removal “voluntary emigration”, but the plan has sparked condemnations from Israel’s allies in Europe and the Arab world.
The announcement comes after the Houthi terror group in Yemen hit Ben Gurion airport with a missile.
They’ve now threatened to launch more such strikes and warned airlines to cancel their flights to Israeli airports as they seek to impose an aerial blockade.
The missile gouged a wide crater in the ground near an airport parking lot, wounding six people and forcing airlines to suspend flights.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed a tough response against the Houthis, as well as its main backer Iran, over the attack.
In a video published on Telegram, Netanyahu said Israel had “acted against” the Houthis in the past and “will act in the future”.
“It will not happen in one bang, but there will be many bangs,” he added, without elaborating.
Israel and the US have largely attacked the Houthis by bombing them – with footage last week capturing the staggering moment American forces carpet bombed them.
The staggering nighttime video, filmed by Turkish sailors onboard an oil tanker in the Red Sea, shows huge fireballs erupting across the Ras Isa Oil Port.
The UK has also launched airstrikes with RAF Typhoon jets, backed by Voyager air-to-air refuelling tankers, hit several drone manufacturing buildings 15 miles south of the capital Sanaa.
Forces used Paveway IV precision-guided bombs to hit the terror sites on Tuesday night.
The strikes mark Britain’s first involvement in the new phase of America’s Operation Rough Rider against the Iran-backed group.
Who are the Houthis?
THE Houthi rebels have spent months terrorising the Red Sea by launching persistent missile and drone attacks on vessels and warships - but who are they?
The Shia militant group, which now controls large swaths of Yemen, spent over a decade being largely ignored by the world.
However, since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, they sprung from relative obscurity to holding roughly £1trillion of world trade hostage – turning one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes into an active warzone.
Their warped battle cry is “Death to America, Death to Israel, curse the Jews and victory to Islam”.
Why are they attacking ships?
After the October 7 massacre, Houthis began launching relentless drone and missile attacks on any ships – including warships – they deem to be connected with Israel in solidarity with their ally, Hamas.
In reality, they targeted commercial vessels with little or no link to Israel – forcing global sea traffic to largely halt operations in the region and sending shipping prices around the world soaring.
The sea assaults added to the carnage in the Middle East tinderbox as intense ripples from Israel’s war in Gaza were felt across the region – with Iran accused of stoking the chaos.
The Houthi chiefs pledged their Red Sea attacks would continue until Israel stopped its offensive in Gaza.
The group’s chiefs have previously said their main targets are Israel, and its allies the US and Britain.
And despite repeated threats from the West and joint US and UK strikes blitzing their strongholds in Yemen – Iran’s terror proxy appears undeterred.
The UK and US have hit Houthi bases as recently as this month after the terror group once again targeted boats in the shipping lane.
Israel has also hammered the group with airstrikes, reportedly hitting oil storage tanks at the port in Al Hudaydah.