May 5 (UPI) — Israel’s security cabinet voted over the weekend to reportedly increase military operations in Gaza, and to establish a permanent presence.

Sources familiar with plan shared details and the results of the vote with CNN, NBC News and ABC News.

An Israeli official told CNN the new plan for Israel’s war in Gaza involved “the conquest of territory and remaining there,” to displace the Palestinian population to southern Gaza and conduct “powerful strikes” against Hamas.

Officials also said the expansion of the conflict will be implemented gradually and provide opportunities for a new cease-fire and hostage release deals before U.S. President Donald Trump visits the region later this month. Trump is slated to land in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar next week, but Israel is not part of the planned itinerary.

The cabinet meeting also reportedly involved a possible lift on the blockade Israel has placed on humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza, which has been in place for over eight weeks.

Both an Israeli source and a U.S. State Department official told CNN the United States and Israel have discussed a method to deliver aid to Gaza that would bypass Hamas, and that a related announcement could be made “in the coming days.”

The Palestinian Ministry of Health says over 52,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the Israel-Hamas war began, which includes more than 2,400 since mid-March when a cease-fire that had been in place for two months was broken.