Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided Israel will fully occupy the Gaza Strip to end the nearly two-year war, Israeli media reported Monday, citing a senior official.

“The die is cast — we are going for a full occupation of the Gaza Strip,” Netanyahu reportedly said.

A security meeting is set for Tuesday to discuss further military action, with an official statement expected next week.

Some Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) officials have reportedly opposed the plan, noting the military controls only 75% of Gaza — with the remaining 25% containing the civilian population.

This comes amid growing international condemnation of Israel’s military campaign, which has killed over 60,000 Palestinians, including more than 18,500 children since October 2023, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

The humanitarian crisis has worsened, with a U.N.-backed group warning of a “worst-case scenario of famine” last month. 

The health ministry reported Tuesday that 188 people, including 94 children, have died from starvation and malnutrition, with some babies dying at less than their birth weight.

Aid-related killings have also surged. At least 88 Palestinians were reportedly killed while seeking food on Monday, part of a pattern that has killed over 1,000 aid seekers since late May. Most were near distribution sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a U.S.- and Israeli-backed group condemned by the United Nations.

Eyewitnesses have repeatedly said that Israeli forces fired at the hungry crowds, while humanitarian groups have called for GHF’s dismantlement. They accuse the group of helping Israel “weaponize” aid.

Israel’s allies, including the United States, France and the United Kingdom, have acknowledged the mass starvation. U.S. President Donald Trump said “You can’t fake” the videos of starving children and called upon Israel to increase aid into the besieged enclave.

France, the U.K., Canada, Portugal and Malta have announced plans to recognize Palestinian statehood at the U.N. General Assembly in September.

Netanyahu has categorically denied that any starvation is occurring in Gaza.