Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed with U.S. President Donald Trump Israel’s plan to fully occupy the Gaza Strip, while Netanyahu spoke of a rapid military operation in Gaza.

Netanyahu’s office stated that the Prime Minister held a phone call with Trump on Sunday, during which they discussed “Israeli plans to control the remaining Hamas strongholds in Gaza to end the war, release hostages, and defeat the movement,” according to the statement.

The statement added that Netanyahu thanked Trump for his steadfast support for Israel since the beginning of the war.

This was their first contact since the Israeli government approved Netanyahu’s plan last Friday to occupy the entire Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu said the military operation in Gaza would be quick but did not specify a timeline, claiming Israel’s goal was not to occupy Gaza but to “liberate” it from Hamas.

He also said he ordered the army to shorten the timetable for controlling Gaza City and expressed determination to end the war as soon as possible.

Netanyahu denied the existence of famine in Gaza and claimed the United Nations refuses to distribute aid that entered through the Kerem Shalom crossing.

Netanyahu avoids using the term “occupation” when referring to his government’s plan for Gaza, replacing it with “control” to avoid legal repercussions.

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported Sunday that the army will deploy “all its regular forces to Gaza” as part of the planned occupation of the Strip.

The army is working on a plan to occupy Gaza City and needs a week to outline the main points.

Military plans for the occupation of Gaza City are not yet clear, including invasion routes and whether the occupation will be carried out all at once or in stages.

The army believes it will deploy all regular forces to Gaza, while reserve forces will be assigned to other fronts.

The Israeli mini-cabinet approved last Friday a plan starting with the occupation of northern Gaza City, displacing its approximately one million residents to the south, then surrounding the city and conducting incursions into residential areas.

This will be followed by a second phase including the occupation of refugee camps in central Gaza, which Israel has heavily damaged, in a continuous war supported by the U.S. since October 7, 2023.

The opposition and families of Israeli prisoners in Gaza accuse Netanyahu of prolonging the war to ensure his government’s survival and maintain his political future.

Since March 2, the occupation has closed all crossings to Gaza, preventing any humanitarian aid from entering, plunging the Strip into famine despite aid trucks piling up at its borders and limited quantities allowed in that do not meet the minimum needs of citizens.

With U.S. support, the occupation is committing genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza, including killing, starving, destroying, and forcibly displacing them, ignoring international calls and orders from the International Court of Justice to stop.

The Israeli genocide has resulted in 61,258 martyrs, 152,045 injured, over 9,000 missing, hundreds of thousands displaced, and famine that claimed many lives including dozens of children.

The occupation also assassinated 237 journalists during the genocide in a systematic attempt to erase the truth and hide the atrocities committed.