The Israeli security cabinet has approved plans to seize Gaza City, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed. Just hours earlier, in an interview with the American channel "Fox News", Netanyahu announced that Israel planned to take control of the entire territory of the enclave, but "not to hold it". "We want to have a security perimeter, but we don't want to rule (Gaza)", he said.
The current government decision does not explicitly confirm the intention to control the entire territory of Gaza, but is another step of escalation in the war that Israel launched in response to Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023.
Israel will implement five principles to end the war
The cabinet also approved five principles to end the conflict, including the disarmament of Hamas, the return of hostages, the demilitarization of Gaza, the imposition of Israeli control over security, and the creation of an alternative civilian government that does not include either Hamas or the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinian Authority is partially governed by the government in the city of Ramallah, which is recognized by 147 of the UN member states.
The goal, according to the Israeli authorities, is to achieve a decisive victory against Hamas. The plan also provides for the provision of humanitarian aid to the civilian population "outside the zones of military operations", the statement said. Israel must evacuate tens of thousands of civilians from Gaza City before proceeding to capture it, which is expected to take days and require the mobilization of a large new resource.
The Israeli army already controls about 75% of the territory of Gaza, with the territory along the Mediterranean coast from Khan Yunis to Gaza City being the main area outside their control.
Opposition: "This is a catastrophe"
The Israeli opposition has sharply criticized Netanyahu's plans. "This is a catastrophe that will lead to more catastrophes", declared opposition leader Yair Lapid. According to the chairman of "Yesh Atid", Netanyahu's decision was entirely dictated by far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich and was "exactly what Hamas wants".
"In complete contradiction to the opinion of the military and security forces, without taking into account the erosion and exhaustion of the fighting forces, Ben-Gvir and Smotrich have dragged Netanyahu into a move that will take months, will lead to the death of hostages, the murder of many soldiers, will cost tens of billions of Israeli taxpayers and will lead to political collapse," Lapid added. According to him, there is no idea what is intended with this move.
The reactions from the international community were not long in coming. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk called on Israel to immediately reconsider its plans, recalling that these moves were "contrary to the International Court of Justice's ruling that Israel must end its occupation as soon as possible".
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also urged de-escalation. "This will only lead to more bloodshed," he wrote.