Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed a full-fledged takeover of Gaza from Hamas terrorists, but the U.S. is pushing to delay that until the remaining hostages are returned, effectively giving the terrorists justification for their holding of what Israel has called its "human shields."

Sources told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday that U.S. officials are seeking progress on hostage and remains returns through diplomacy before the major ground invasion gets underway. Officials are requesting Israel's delay.

Netanyahu has pledged to hold all areas under full Israel control to accomplish the long-stated war goals: 1. Return all hostages. 2. Destroy Hamas in total. 3. Deradicalize and demilitarize Gaza.

Netanyahu's regime contends that third goal can only be accomplished with Israel's occupation of Gaza to root out radical anti-Israel extremism that led to the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack.

The security situation in Gaza remains tenuous without a controlling force, under Israel's view.

Not only are Hamas terrorists reportedly looting the humanitarian aid for the innocent civilians, but they are also reportedly firing on civilians trying to access the aid that the world leaders have demanded Israel release. Israel has long warned aid is getting stolen by the very hostage-holding terrorists Israel seeks to remove from power.

Former U.S. Undersecretary of Defense Robert Wilkie told Newsmax on Sunday that diplomacy with the "ultimate death cult" of Hamas has proved impossible over decades.

"If Benjamin Netanyahu wanted to commit genocide, he wouldn't have put one Israeli soldier in danger," he said. "He would have just flattened Gaza. He put his soldiers' lives at risk because there is a moral component to the Israeli fight that is almost nowhere on the planet, and it is rooted in 3,000 years of biblical history and truth."

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