Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to order a full military occupation of the Gaza Strip to force Hamas to free the hostages, according to local reports.

Asked in an interview with Fox News if Israel would “take control of all of Gaza,” Netanyahu replied: “We intend to, in order to assure our security, remove Hamas there, enable the population to be free of Gaza.” The Security Cabinet would still need to approve such a decision.

The U.N. has called reports about a possible expansion of Israel's military operations in Gaza "deeply alarming."