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JERUSALEM/CAIRO: Israel’s cabinet could authorize on Tuesday a complete military takeover of Gaza for the first time in two decades, media reported, despite international pressure for a ceasefire to ease appalling conditions in the besieged Palestinian territory.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is leaning toward an expanded offensive and taking control of the entire enclave after 22 months of war against militant group Hamas, Israeli Channel 12 reported.

A senior Israeli source told Reuters on Monday that more force was an option following the collapse of indirect ceasefire talks with Hamas.

Seizing the entire territory would reverse a 2005 decision by Israel to pull settlers and military out of Gaza while retaining control over its borders – a move right-wing parties blame for Hamas gaining power there.

It was unclear, however, whether a potential full takeover of Gaza would entail a prolonged occupation or a short-term operation aimed at dismantling Hamas and freeing hostages.

Israel’s coalition government is regarded as one of the most right-wing in its history, with the cabinet including parties that seek to annex both Gaza and the West Bank and encourage Palestinians to leave their homeland.

The country’s military has throughout the war pushed back against the idea of Israel trying to fully occupy Gaza and establish military rule there, which would require it to take over long-term governance.

The military has also struggled with manpower issues as the war has dragged on, with reservists being repeatedly called up and putting a strain on capabilities.

The conflict was triggered by a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, when gunmen stormed the border from Gaza, killing more than 1,200 people and seizing around 250 hostages according to Israeli tallies.

Israel’s military campaign has devastated the tiny, crowded enclave, killing more than 60,000 people according to Palestinian health authorities. It has forced nearly all of Gaza’s over 2 million people from their homes and caused what a global hunger monitor called last week an unfolding famine.

That has caused widespread international anger and prompted several European countries to say they would recognize a Palestinian state next month if there was no ceasefire.

Inside Gaza on Tuesday, Israeli gunfire and strikes killed at least 13 Palestinians, local health authorities said, including five people in a tent in Khan Younis and three aid seekers near Rafah in the south.

Tank push

Israeli tanks pushed into central Gaza earlier on Tuesday but it was not clear if the move was part of a larger ground offensive.

Palestinians living in the last fifth of the territory where Israel has not yet taken military control via ground incursions or orders for civilians to leave said any new move to occupy the area would be catastrophic.

“If the tanks pushed through, where would we go, into the sea? This will be like a death sentence to the entire population,” said Abu Jehad, a Gaza wood merchant, who asked not to be named in full.

A Palestinian official close to the talks and mediation said Israeli threats could be a way to pressure Hamas to make concessions at the negotiation table.

“It will only complicate the negotiation further, at the end, the resistance factions will not accept less than an end to the war, and a full withdrawal from Gaza,” he told Reuters, asking not to be named.

Israel said it would allow merchants to import goods. A source in Gaza told Reuters some trucks had already entered carrying chocolates and biscuits for a merchant.

It is hoped that essential items such as children’s milk, fresh meat and fruits, sugar, and rice could be allowed in, which would alleviate scarcity and drive down prices of what is available in the markets.

US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said last week he was working with the Israeli government on a plan that would effectively end the war in Gaza.

But Israeli officials have also floated ideas including expanding the offensive and annexing parts of Gaza.

The failed ceasefire talks in Doha had aimed to clinch agreements on a US-backed proposal for a 60-day truce, during which aid would be flown into Gaza and half of the hostages Hamas is holding would be freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners jailed in Israel.

The Israeli military was expected on Tuesday to present alternatives that include extending into areas of Gaza where it has not yet operated, according to two defense officials.

MOSUL: Weary of paying big bills for power supplies that are often cut off, wheat grower Abdallah Al-Ali is among the rising number of farmers to have turned to solar panels to keep their irrigation systems running during the searing heat of the Iraqi summer.
A member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, and one of the world’s leading oil producers, Iraq has struggled to provide its citizens with energy since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.
In the ensuing turmoil, under-investment and mismanagement have left the national grid unable to cope with demand.
On some summer days when temperatures can exceed 40 degrees Celsius (104°F), it provides electricity for only around half of the time, according to a Reuters witness in Mosul, in the northern agricultural province of Nineveh.
The monthly power bill for Al-Ali was nearly a million Iraqi dinars ($763.94). Since installing solar, he said he has been paying the national grid 80,000 Iraqi dinars and his supply has become reliable.
“Farmers are turning to solar to reduce their bills and lower the load on water pumps. The electricity from solar is stable,” he said.
Apart from its oil riches, Iraq has vast solar potential that the authorities say they will use to close the gap between supply and demand, at the same time, reducing carbon emissions.
The country has a plan to install 12 gigawatts of solar capacity by 2030, according to the ministry of electricity, which includes delivering a 1 GW solar plant for Basra this year.
Peak summer demand in 2025, meanwhile, is expected to reach 55 GW, while supply stands at just 27 GW, according to estimates by Iraq’s electricity minister in January.

CITIZEN POWER
Al-Ali is not the only citizen who has not waited for the government to act.
Farmers across Nineveh can use both rooftop panels and ground-mounted arrays, placed on farmland, to power irrigation systems and supply household needs.
In urban areas, panels are tightly packed on the flat roofs, which characterise Mosul homes, to maximize energy generation.
Hassan Taher, a Mosul resident and agricultural engineer, said switching to solar had transformed his home life.
“My bills are now very low, and the panels even helped reduce the heat in our kitchen by insulating the roof,” he told Reuters.
The surge in demand has also been felt by local businesses.
Mohammed Al-Qattan, who runs Mosul Solar, a solar installation company, said interest soared in 2024 and 2025, especially from rural communities, where he said 70 percent of his clients lived.
Although increasingly cost-effective, solar panel systems in Iraq still cost between 5 and 10 million Iraqi dinars, with the average 5–6 kilowatt system priced around 5 million dinars.
Many users say they recoup the upfront cost within one-to-three years, and most systems come with a 15-year warranty.
They also avoid the need for costly diesel generators, which emit high levels of carbon dioxide and other pollutants.
In urban areas, many householders take out a subscription for backup from a generator, which costs between 50,000 and 100,000 dinars per month.
“Compared to generators, this cost can be recovered within two years, and the system lasts for 30 years,” Al-Qattan said of solar.
Solar systems installed are off-grid, meaning their owners are nearly self-sufficient in energy, said Ahmed Mahmoud Fathi, a director in the Nineveh branch of the state electricity company.
Users only pay the electricity department for night-time use of the national grid, which is especially attractive to farmers who use high-voltage pumps during the day and do not need electricity at night.
Omar Abdul Kareem Shukr, who heads Sama Al-Sharq Company, which sells solar panels, told Reuters that even middle- and low-income citizens are buying solar systems as government initiatives have been put in place to encourage solar panel use.
The Central Bank has also introduced low-interest loans for citizens buying solar panels, although farmer Abdallah Al-Ali said he had managed without.
“Currently, I rely on myself as a farmer. I heard there’s government support through a Central Bank initiative, but I haven’t approached it,” he said.