Israel may seize the Gaza Strip and control support for the expanded attack on Hamas, approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security minister on Monday, officials said.
Israeli military officials said it would not be launched before President Donald Trump concludes his visit to the Middle East next week.
The decision highlights the threat that a war that has escalated international pressure on Israel amid declining public support at home could continue without an end after weeks of efforts to agree to a ceasefire with Hamas.
A government spokesman told journalists online that reserves had been called out to expand their operations in Gaza.
The Israeli military has already taken over an area that is about a third of the Gaza Strip, expelling the population and building surveillance and surveillance posts on clear ground, which the military described as security zones, but the new plans will go further.