Israel’s security cabinet approved a plan to take control of
Gaza City, escalating its 22-month conflict with Hamas. The move has sparked
widespread international condemnation, with global leaders warning of increased
humanitarian suffering, displacement, and no progress toward peace or hostage
release.
Israel’s Strategic Decision to Seize Gaza City
Israel’s security cabinet sanctioned a plan on Friday to
take control of Gaza City, the largest and most densely populated city in the
Gaza Strip. This decision marks a significant intensification of Israel’s
military operations in the Palestinian territory amid its prolonged war with
Hamas that began following the October 2023 Hamas attacks on southern Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel aims
to establish military control not only over Gaza City but eventually over the
entire Gaza Strip. Netanyahu clarified in an interview with Fox News that
Israel does not intend to hold Gaza permanently but plans to create a
"security perimeter" before transferring governance to Arab forces,
though details on who would govern remain unclear.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are preparing to assume
control of Gaza City, while promising to deliver humanitarian assistance to
civilians outside combat zones. Details remain uncertain about how aid will be
distributed and whether existing channels criticized by the United Nations and
others will be used.
Plan Details and Military Objectives
The approved strategy, part of Israel's so-called "five
principles for concluding the war," outlines key objectives:
- Disarmament
of Hamas
- Return
of all hostages, both alive and deceased
- Demilitarization
of the Gaza Strip
- Israeli
security oversight of the territory
- Creation
of a civilian administration independent of Hamas and the Palestinian
Authority.
Control over Gaza City is seen as pivotal due to its dense
population of nearly one million residents, many of whom have already been
displaced from northern Gaza by earlier Israeli military actions. The plan
involves the forced displacement of Palestinian civilians farther south,
contributing to the rising humanitarian crisis.
Opposition from Hamas and Domestic Critics
Hamas condemned the plan as a “full-fledged war crime” and a
“blatant coup” against ongoing negotiations for ceasefire and hostage release.
The militant group warned Israel that the operation will come at a “high cost”
and pledged to continue its resistance. Hamas accused Israel of manipulating
terminology by replacing “occupation” with “control” to avoid legal
responsibilities, and indicated that negotiations had been close to a
breakthrough before Israel's announcement.
Within Israel itself, there is opposition to the plan,
including from military officials concerned about the safety of hostages still
held by Hamas and from families of those hostages. The Israeli public remains
divided, with some calling for an end to the war, while others, including Prime
Minister Netanyahu, insist that the conflict will continue until Hamas is
ousted.
International Condemnation and Calls for Restraint
The global reaction to Israel’s decision has been
overwhelmingly critical, with leaders expressing concern over escalating
violence and civilian suffering.
United Nations
Volker Türk, the UN high commissioner for human rights,
demanded that Israel’s planned takeover be immediately halted. He warned that
further escalation would lead to “more massive forced displacement, more
killing, more unbearable suffering, senseless destruction and atrocity crimes”.
United Kingdom
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued a statement condemning
Israel’s escalation as “wrong” and urged an immediate reconsideration of the
plan. He emphasised that a military intensification would do nothing to end the
conflict or secure hostage releases, instead only causing more bloodshed.
Starmer reiterated Britain's commitment to a two-state solution but lamented
that such prospects were "vanishing before our eyes" without
good-faith negotiations.
Spain, Turkey, and Australia
Spain’s Foreign Minister José Albares warned Israel’s plan
would “only lead to more destruction and suffering.” Turkey’s Foreign Ministry
labelled the escalation “a new chapter” in what it called Israel’s
“expansionist policies,” calling for an immediate halt to military operations
and a return to peace talks aimed at a two-state solution. Australia’s Foreign
Minister Penny Wong stressed that a two-state solution remains the only viable
path to lasting peace, with Palestinian and Israeli states coexisting within
secure, recognised borders.
Germany
In response to the plan, Germany announced it would suspend
arms exports to Israel that could be used in Gaza. These concerns speak to the
contentious domestic and international friction surrounding the operation.
Humanitarian Crisis and War Impact
Israeli military actions since the start of the conflict
have driven Gaza close to famine, with widespread displacement and an
escalating hunger emergency. Tens of thousands of people may be further
displaced from Gaza City to central Gaza refugee camps as part of the takeover
plan. Criticism has been levelled at the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a
U.S. and Israeli-backed body responsible for food distribution through
contested sites—many of which have witnessed deadly incidents and accusations
of mismanagement.
The operation risks deepening the already severe
humanitarian catastrophe, exacerbating suffering for Gaza’s civilians amid
intense urban warfare and restrictions on aid access.
Hostage Situation and Conflict Stalemate
The fate of hostages remains a focal issue. Approximately 50
hostages believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza are central to Israeli public
pressure for decisive military actions, though Israeli officials estimate only
about 20 may still be alive. Most released hostages so far have been freed
through diplomatic channels, but tentative ceasefire talks that could have
facilitated further releases broke down in July.
Israeli military officials have expressed concern that intensified operations, including the planned takeover of Gaza City, could jeopardize hostage safety. Yet, Netanyahu and his far-right coalition partners continue to advocate for complete military control until Hamas is dismantled.
Israel’s security cabinet has approved a controversial plan
to seize Gaza City as part of an intensified military campaign against Hamas,
intensifying the 22-month conflict. The proposal has triggered condemnation
worldwide due to fears of worsening humanitarian disasters, forced
displacement, increased casualties, and ongoing hostilities with uncertain
prospects for peace or hostage release.
Global leaders, including those from the UN, UK, Spain,
Turkey, Australia, and Germany, have expressed firm opposition, urging
restraint, ceasefire negotiations, and a return to a two-state solution. Hamas,
meanwhile, vows continued resistance and labelled the operation a war crime.
Amid persistent violence and diplomatic stalemate, the
future of Gaza’s civilians, the hostages' fate, and the region’s stability hang
in a delicate balance as Israel moves forward with its military ambitions.