Current sectionIsrael NewsAnalysis Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to do some damage control by using minimizing language to describe his Gaza takeover plan. Netanyahu's speeches and Israel's history are all the evidence you need to understand what he's actually sayingShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeDahlia ScheindlinAugust 12, 2025Benjamin Netanyahu is full of reassurances about the cautious, pragmatic but decisive nature of his government's plan for a major military expansion in Gaza, which the security cabinet approved last Friday morning at 5:30 a.m.Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:PalestiniansIsrael occupationGazaBenjamin NetanyahuIsrael-Gaza WarWest BankCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Israel-Iran Live UpdatesHamasIsrael ElectionsLebanonNoam BettanSettler ViolenceHaQuizHaaretz PodcastIsrael to Build Defense Compound on Demolished UNRWA HQ Site in East JerusalemAt Eurovision and Venice Biennale, War Is a Participant No One Can ExcludeIDF Says Combat Soldier Dropouts Surging, Most Due to Mental Health IssuesWho on Earth Feels Threatened by a Nun?Eurovision and War Crimes: Why Netanyahu Will Welcome More ICC Arrest WarrantsRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIHundreds Protest at New York Times HQ Over Column Alleging Abuse by IsraelisStarlink Users, Beware – Israeli Tech Can Reveal Your IdentityIt Wasn't Just Revenge That Israel Was After in GazaWelcome to the Most Shameful Day in the Jewish CalendarIsraeli Teens Storm Muslim Quarter in Old City, Haaretz Reporter AttackedIsrael Attacks New York Times for Report on Sexual Violence by Israeli Forces