Israeli ministers call for renewed Gaza attacks, rejection of Trump's ceasefire roadmap

Israeli ministers have called for the resumption of military offensive in the Gaza Strip and the rejection of a roadmap for implementing the second phase of US President Donald Trump's ceasefire plan, Israeli media reported Friday.

The calls came during a meeting of Israel's Security Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Thursday evening to discuss the roadmap for the plan's second phase, according to the Israel Hayom newspaper.

Since the ceasefire agreement took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, Israel has continued to violate the deal through daily attacks on Gaza, killing 1,252 Palestinians and injuring 4,120 others, most of them women and children.

Last Friday, the Trump-chaired Peace Council announced that Hamas had approved the roadmap, while Israel was still considering its position.

Ministers Ze'ev Elkin, Bezalel Smotrich, Orit Strock and Avi Dichter called during the Cabinet meeting for the resumption of military offensive in Gaza, Israel Hayom reported.

"If Israel does not launch offensive operations for two weeks, it would mean that it has accepted the plan," Elkin said, calling for a formal rejection of the roadmap's provisions.

Smotrich, Strock and Dichter demanded that Netanyahu issue an official statement confirming Israel's opposition to implementing the plan's second phase, according to the report.

"You are good at maneuvering, but after the issuance of an official document, we must delegitimize it. We cannot continue maneuvering," Smotrich told Netanyahu.

"Hamas must not remain. It must be erased," he added.

Last Friday, the Peace Council released a draft agreement outlining the principles and implementation mechanisms for the next phase of Trump's Gaza plan. The document included security, administrative and transitional arrangements for the enclave, as well as a proposed political track.

The Israeli army currently occupies around 70% of the Gaza Strip following a genocidal war that has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians and injured over 174,000 since October 2023, according to Palestinian figures.