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Israeli strikes across Gaza kill multiple Palestinians and shatter ceasefire with Hamas [Update @post#234]

Israeli cabinet may order complete Gaza takeover

Israel's cabinet could authorise on Tuesday a complete military takeover of Gaza for the first time in two decades, media reported, despite international pressure for a ceasefire to ease appalling conditions in the besieged Palestinian territory.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is leaning towards an expanded offensive and taking control of the entire enclave after 22 months of war against militant group Hamas, Israeli Channel 12 reported.

A senior Israeli source told Reuters on Monday that more force was an option following the collapse of indirect ceasefire talks with Hamas.

Seizing the entire territory would reverse a 2005 decision by Israel to pull settlers and military out of Gaza while retaining control over its borders - a move right-wing parties blame for Hamas gaining power there.

It was unclear, however, whether a potential full takeover of Gaza would entail a prolonged occupation or a short-term operation aimed at dismantling Hamas and freeing hostages.

Israel's coalition government is regarded as one of the most right-wing in its history, with the cabinet including parties that seek to annex both Gaza and the West Bank and encourage Palestinians to leave their homeland.

The country's military has throughout the war pushed back against the idea of Israel trying to fully occupy Gaza and establish military rule there, which would require it to take over long-term governance.

The military has also struggled with manpower issues as the war has dragged on, with reservists being repeatedly called up and putting a strain on capabilities.

The conflict was triggered by a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, when gunmen stormed the border from Gaza, killing more than 1,200 people and seizing around 250 hostages according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's military campaign has devastated the tiny, crowded enclave, killing more than 60,000 people according to Palestinian health authorities. It has forced nearly all of Gaza's over 2 million people from their homes and caused what a global hunger monitor called last week an unfolding famine.

That has caused widespread international anger and prompted several European countries to say they would recognise a Palestinian state next month if there was no ceasefire.

Inside Gaza on Tuesday, Israeli gunfire and strikes killed at least 13 Palestinians, local health authorities said, including five people in a tent in Khan Younis and three aid seekers near Rafah in the south.

TANK PUSH

Israeli tanks pushed into central Gaza earlier on Tuesday but it was not clear if the move was part of a larger ground offensive.

Palestinians living in the last fifth of the territory where Israel has not yet taken military control via ground incursions or orders for civilians to leave said any new move to occupy the area would be catastrophic.

"If the tanks pushed through, where would we go, into the sea? This will be like a death sentence to the entire population," said Abu Jehad, a Gaza wood merchant, who asked not to be named in full.

A Palestinian official close to the talks and mediation said Israeli threats could be a way to pressure Hamas to make concessions at the negotiation table.

"It will only complicate the negotiation further, at the end, the resistance factions will not accept less than an end to the war, and a full withdrawal from Gaza," he told Reuters, asking not to be named.

Israel said it would allow merchants to import goods. A source in Gaza told Reuters some trucks had already entered carrying chocolates and biscuits for a merchant.

It is hoped that essential items such as children's milk, fresh meat and fruits, sugar, and rice could be allowed in, which would alleviate scarcity and drive down prices of what is available in the markets.

U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said last week he was working with the Israeli government on a plan that would effectively end the war in Gaza.

But Israeli officials have also floated ideas including expanding the offensive and annexing parts of Gaza.

The failed ceasefire talks in Doha had aimed to clinch agreements on a U.S.-backed proposal for a 60-day truce, during which aid would be flown into Gaza and half of the hostages Hamas is holding would be freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners jailed in Israel.

The Israeli military was expected on Tuesday to present alternatives that include extending into areas of Gaza where it has not yet operated, according to two defence officials.

 
UN official says Israel expanding Gaza operations would risk 'catastrophic consequences'

A top UN official has warned there would be "catastrophic consequences" if Israel expands its military operations in Gaza, after reports Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing for total reoccupation.

Assistant Secretary General Miroslav Jenča told the UN Security Council such a move would be "deeply alarming", and could endanger the lives of more Palestinians, as well as Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

Israeli media reported that Netanyahu plans to meet his security cabinet this week.

"The die has been cast. We're going for the full conquest of the Gaza Strip - and defeating Hamas," a senior Israeli official was quoted as saying.

The security cabinet, which is due to meet on Thursday, would need to approve such an action.

It has been suggested the plan could be a negotiating tactic to pressure Hamas after a recent breakdown of ceasefire talks, or an attempt to shore up support from Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners.

Asked whether he would support an Israeli plan to reoccupy all of Gaza, US President Donald Trump responded: "That's pretty much going to be up to Israel."

Israel has been facing mounting international pressure over the war in Gaza, where experts say famine is unfolding.

In his remarks, Jenča warned against any expansion of Israel's military operations.

"This would risk catastrophic consequences for millions of Palestinians and could further endanger the lives of the remaining hostages in Gaza," he said.

He added that under international law, Gaza "is and must remain an integral part of a future Palestinian state".

Israel's military said it already had operational control of 75% of Gaza, but the new plan would reportedly propose occupying the entire region - including areas where more than two million Palestinians now live.

The proposals have proved divisive in Israel, with reports the army chief and other military leaders oppose the strategy.

The unnamed Israeli official responded by saying: "If that doesn't work for the chief of staff, he should resign."

The families of hostages have expressed their fear that such a decision could endanger their loved ones.

Israel says 49 hostages are still being held in Gaza, of whom 27 are believed to be dead.

Jenča reiterated to the UN Security Council the call for a ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.

Citing the "squalid" and "inhumane" conditions faced by Palestinians, he urged Israel to immediately allow the unimpeded passage of sufficient aid.

"Israel continues to severely restrict humanitarian assistance entering Gaza, and the aid that is permitted to enter is grossly inadequate," Jenča said.

He also condemned the ongoing violence at food distribution sites, saying more than 1,200 Palestinians have been killed since the end of May while trying to access food and supplies.

Last week, Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry said 154 people including 89 children had died from a lack of food since October 2023.

UN agencies have warned there is man-made, mass starvation in Gaza, and reported at least 63 malnutrition-related deaths this month.

Israel has previously insisted there are no restrictions on aid deliveries and that there is "no starvation" in Gaza.

Israel launched its military offensive in Gaza in response to Hamas's attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others taken to Gaza as hostages.

More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed as a result of Israel's military campaign, according to the territory's health ministry.

BBC
 
Israeli forces have intensified their military campaign across Gaza, killing at least 23 Palestinians since dawn, including several civilians at a UN-run clinic in Gaza City that was sheltering displaced people. The strike on the clinic — a site repeatedly targeted during the war — comes amid growing global condemnation. UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca described Israel's reported plan to fully occupy Gaza as “deeply alarming,” while European Commission Vice President Teresa Ribera called it an “unacceptable provocation.” Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate, with hunger-related deaths nearing 200 and only 84 aid trucks entering the enclave on Tuesday — far below the 600 needed daily.

On the West Bank front, Israeli authorities have banned the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem from Al-Aqsa Mosque for six months following provocative visits by far-right officials. Israeli settlers have also attacked Gaza-bound aid convoys and even a Russian diplomatic vehicle, drawing formal protest from Moscow. Aid seekers continue to face deadly risks, with many being shot while attempting to collect food. Gaza’s health system is collapsing under the strain, with hospitals running out of basic supplies. A Gaza doctor recounted the tragic death of a malnourished toddler who could not receive a simple blood transfusion due to lack of donors and resources — a stark illustration of the deepening crisis.

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/live...-gaza-as-eu-un-condemn-alarming-invasion-plan
 

Blood hungry savages need to be reined in​

===

Israel kills 135 Palestinians in Gaza in 24 hours​


At least 135 Palestinians, including 87 aid seekers, have been killed and 771 injured in Israeli attacks across Gaza in the past 24 hours, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry.

The number of people who starved to death in the enclave during Israel’s war has risen to 193, with the five new confirmed hunger-related deaths coming in the past 24 hours, the ministry says.

Source: Al Jazeera
 
Fears for Palestinians and hostages as Netanyahu plans full Gaza occupation

The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has convened a security cabinet expected to be held on Thursday evening to discuss the full occupation of the Gaza Strip, which aid agencies have warned would lead to countless more Palestinian deaths and further mass displacement.

The families of the roughly 20 remaining living hostages have called for Israelis to protest against the government and a decision they fear would endanger the lives of their loved ones.

On Thursday morning, about 20 family members of those still held captive in Gaza boarded about 10 boats that departed from the coastal city of Ashkelon, near the border with Gaza, carrying yellow flags and posters bearing the images of the hostages, as they shouted their names.

Speaking in English through a megaphone, Yehuda Cohen, whose son, Nimrod, was captured by Hamas on 7 October 2023, said: “Mayday, mayday, mayday. We need all international assistance to rescue the 50 hostages who are nearly two years held by the hand of Hamas.”

“Please, we need international help,” Cohen added.

Of the 251 people kidnapped on 7 October by Hamas and its allies, 49 remain hostages in Gaza, of whom 27 have been declared dead by the army.

“This is the moment for courageous leadership,” the families said, appealing directly to Netanyahu, as well as the lead hostage negotiator, Ron Dermer, and the IDF chief. “Continued obstruction, delay, and failure to bring our loved ones home will be a tragedy for generations. The responsibility is yours. Do not sacrifice our loved ones on the altar of an endless war.”

Israeli media, citing officials speaking on condition of anonymity, said Netanyahu was hoping to seek approval on the full occupation of Gaza.

The plan would mean sending ground troops into the few areas of the strip that have not been totally destroyed, roughly 25% of the territory where much of its 2 million people have sought refuge.

Israel is reportedly preparing a two-phase operation aimed at seizing control of Gaza City, with plans to evacuate about a million residents – half of Gaza’s population – in what officials describe as a temporary measure to establish civilian infrastructure in central Gaza.

According to Israel’s Channel 12, the campaign is being framed as a limited operation rather than a full invasion, apparently to placate military chiefs wary of long-term occupation. The chief of staff, Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, is said to have warned that occupying Gaza would plunge Israel into a “black hole” of prolonged insurgency, humanitarian responsibility and heightened risk to hostages.

The operation’s goal – potentially involving up to five IDF divisions and lasting four to five months – suggests a far more extensive campaign. Israeli officials say the campaign aims to pressure Hamas back into negotiations, and possibly align with a broader US-led peace framework.

Yet many remain sceptical. As one unnamed security official put it: “We are entering a Vietnam model, with our eyes wide open.”

Netanyahu is under intense international pressure to reach a ceasefire agreement, but he also faces internal pressure from within his coalition to continue the war. Some far-right allies in his government have pushed for a full occupation of Gaza and for Israel to reestablish settlements there, two decades after it withdrew.

The far-right Israeli finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, told reporters on Wednesday that he hoped the government would approve the military taking control over the rest of Gaza.

“Where should we go? We have been displaced and humiliated enough,” said Aya Mohammad, a 30-year-old Palestinian who, after repeated displacement, had returned with her family to Gaza City.

“You know what displacement is? Does the world know? It means your dignity is wiped out, you become a homeless beggar, searching for food, water and medicine,” she said.

Close to 200 Palestinians have died of starvation in Gaza since the war began, nearly half of them children, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

More than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel’s assault on Gaza, according to local health officials, who said that at least 20 people had been killed in airstrikes across the territory on Thursday.

 
Israeli military plans to occupy Gaza City in major escalation of war

Israel’s security cabinet has approved a plan by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the military occupation of Gaza City, located in the north of the Palestinian enclave.

“The [Israeli military] will prepare to take control of Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement early on Friday announcing the takeover plan.

Two Israeli government sources told the Reuters news agency that any resolution by the security cabinet would now need to be approved by the full government cabinet, which may not meet until Sunday.

Occupying Gaza City marks a major escalation by Israel in its war on the Palestinian territory and will likely result in the forced displacement of tens of thousands of exhausted and starving residents who are experiencing famine conditions as Israel continues to block humanitarian aid from entering the territory.

Axios news reporter Barak Ravid, who first reported the security cabinet’s approval of the plan, quoted an unnamed Israeli official as saying the operation will involve the forced displacement of “all Palestinian civilians from Gaza City to the central camps and other areas by October 7”.

“A siege will be imposed on the Hamas militants who remain in Gaza City, and at the same time, a ground offensive will be carried out in Gaza City,” Ravid wrote on X, citing the official.

On Thursday, in advance of the security cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said Israel would “take control of all Gaza”.

In a television interview with US outlet Fox News, Netanyahu also said Israel does not want to be “a governing body” in Gaza and would hand over responsibility to an unspecified third party.

“We don’t want to keep it. We want to have a security perimeter. We don’t want to govern it,” he said.

Netanyahu’s comments followed reports in Israeli media earlier this week that the Israeli leader would imminently announce plans to fully occupy the entirety of the Gaza Strip.

Shihab Rattansi, Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Washington, DC, said Israel’s move to occupy Gaza has been “telegraphed for several days now”.

“Donald Trump has all but greenlit whatever Benjamin Netanyahu wants to do. He said it would be up to the Israelis,” Rattansi said.

It is unclear how many people still reside in Gaza City, which was the enclave’s largest population centre before Israel’s war on the territory that has now killed more than 61,000 Palestinians since October 2023.

Hundreds of thousands of people fled Gaza City under forced evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military in the opening weeks of the war, but many returned during a brief ceasefire at the start of this year.

A major ground operation in Gaza City could displace many thousands and further disrupt efforts to deliver food to the famine-stricken territory, where almost 200 people have now died from starvation and malnutrition.

“There is nothing left to occupy,” Gaza resident Maysaa al-Heila said on hearing of the planned takeover of the city.

“There is no Gaza left,” al-Heila told The Associated Press news agency.

 
Starmer condemns Israel's decision on Gaza and urges it to 'reconsider immediately'

Starmer said the decision to further escalate the Gaza offensive "is wrong" and he urged Israel to "reconsider immediately".

"This action will do nothing to bring an end to this conflict or to help secure the release of the hostages," he said.

"It will only bring more bloodshed."

Starmer said the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is worsening every day, with hostages taken by Hamas being held in "appalling" conditions.

"What we need is a ceasefire, a surge in humanitarian aid, the release of all hostages by Hamas and a negotiated solution," Starmer added.

"Hamas can play no part in the future of Gaza and must leave as well as disarm."

Starmer said the UK is working on a long-term plan with its allies to secure peace in the region as part of a two-state solution.

However, he added that without both sides engaging in good faith negotiations, "that prospect is vanishing before our eyes".

"Our message is clear: a diplomatic solution is possible, but both parties must step away from the path of destruction."

 

Israel approves plan to take control of Gaza City, signalling major escalation​


Israel's security cabinet has approved a plan to take control of Gaza City, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has confirmed.

A statement released on Friday morning detailed a five-point plan "for defeating Hamas" and "concluding the war". It was approved by a majority vote.

Netanyahu had earlier said Israel intended to take over all of the Gaza Strip, but the plan only mentions Gaza City.

The UN has warned that a complete military takeover would risk "catastrophic consequences" for Palestinian civilians and Israeli hostages held in Gaza. The UK's ambassador to Israel has said it would be "a huge mistake".

The plan lists five objectives: disarming Hamas, returning all hostages, demilitarising the Gaza Strip, taking security control of the territory, and establishing "an alternative civil administration that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority".

"The IDF [Israel Defense Forces] will prepare to take control of Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones," Israel's military said.

The escalation faces opposition in Israel, including from the families of the remaining hostages who say the lives of the 20 believed to have survived will be put in peril. It is also likely to uproot and hugely endanger hundreds of thousands more Palestinians in areas where military action will spread to.

Israel's security cabinet is smaller than the full cabinet and consists of key ministers tasked with formulating and implementing Israel's foreign and defence policies.

It includes the far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who oppose a Gaza ceasefire deal and have threatened to quit if one is agreed. Netanyahu's coalition is reliant on support of their parties to survive.

In a statement on Friday, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer led criticism of Israel and said it was "wrong" to approve the plan, as he urged it to reconsider the new offensive.

"This action will do nothing to bring an end to this conflict or to help secure the release of the hostages. It will only bring more bloodshed," he said.

He added Hamas could "play no part" in the future of Gaza.

Other countries, including Australia, Finland and Turkey have condemned the plan.

The UN human rights chief Volker Türk also warned that "further escalation will result in more massive forced displacement, more killing, more unbearable suffering, senseless destruction and atrocity crimes".

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has called the decision "a disaster" and in a post on X said Ben-Gvir and Smotrich dragged the Israeli prime minister into "exactly what Hamas wanted".

Reports in Israeli media say the plan initially focuses on taking full control of Gaza City, relocating its one million residents further south. Forces would also take control of refugee camps in central Gaza and areas where hostages are thought to be held.

A second offensive would follow weeks later in parallel with a boost in humanitarian aid, media say.

The UK's former national security adviser told the BBC Netanyahu was taking a "huge military and political gamble".

Speaking on Radio 4's PM programme on Thursday Mark Lyall Grant said that Israel has "been in violation of international law" since the war broke out.

If you are moving one million people semi-permanently from northern Gaza into the south, that is in violation of international law. There's no question about that," he said.

Palestinian Mahmoud al-Qurashli told Reuters news agency that "practically all of Gaza has been squeezed into the western part of Gaza City, and that's all that's left.

"At this point, for the people, there's no difference anymore - whether he occupies it or not," he told reporters from Gaza City.

Ahead of the Israeli cabinet's decision, Hamas said in a statement on Thursday evening that Netanyahu was willing to "sacrifice" the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza to serve "his personal interests".

It added he was continuing "his approach of genocide and displacement".

The Palestinian armed group also said the prime minister's actions would "represent a clear reversal of the course of negotiations and clearly reveal the true motives behind his withdrawal from the final round".

The Israeli military currently controls about three-quarters of Gaza, and almost all of its 2.1 million citizens are situated in the quarter of the territory that the IDF does not control.

The UN estimates some 87% of Gaza is either in militarised zones or under evacuation orders.

There are areas in central Gaza and along the Mediterranean coast that Israel does not occupy, according to the UN.

These include refugee camps, where much of Gaza's population is now living after their homes were destroyed by Israel's military.

The vast majority of Gaza's population has already been displaced by the war, many people several times over.

According to Israeli media, tens of thousands of Israeli soldiers would need to be would need to be sent to Gaza to carry out a full takeover.

US ambassador Mike Huckabee Huckabee told Fox News there would be a significant scaling up of distribution sites operated by the Israel- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

The GHF has been strongly criticised by the UN and aid agencies, who have accused it of being chaotic and forcing hungry Palestinians to travel long distances in perilous conditions to try to get food.

Hundreds have been shot dead in or around the four sites run by GHF since it began operating in May. The Hamas-run health ministry and witnesses have accused Israeli forces of being responsible. The IDF has denied targeting civilians, saying soldiers have fired warning shots to keep crowds back or in response to threats.

 

Israel approves plan to take control of Gaza City, signalling major escalation​


Israel's security cabinet has approved a plan to take control of Gaza City, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has confirmed.

A statement released on Friday morning detailed a five-point plan "for defeating Hamas" and "concluding the war". It was approved by a majority vote.

Netanyahu had earlier said Israel intended to take over all of the Gaza Strip, but the plan only mentions Gaza City.

The UN has warned that a complete military takeover would risk "catastrophic consequences" for Palestinian civilians and Israeli hostages held in Gaza. The UK's ambassador to Israel has said it would be "a huge mistake".

The plan lists five objectives: disarming Hamas, returning all hostages, demilitarising the Gaza Strip, taking security control of the territory, and establishing "an alternative civil administration that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority".

"The IDF [Israel Defense Forces] will prepare to take control of Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones," Israel's military said.

The escalation faces opposition in Israel, including from the families of the remaining hostages who say the lives of the 20 believed to have survived will be put in peril. It is also likely to uproot and hugely endanger hundreds of thousands more Palestinians in areas where military action will spread to.

Israel's security cabinet is smaller than the full cabinet and consists of key ministers tasked with formulating and implementing Israel's foreign and defence policies.

It includes the far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who oppose a Gaza ceasefire deal and have threatened to quit if one is agreed. Netanyahu's coalition is reliant on support of their parties to survive.

In a statement on Friday, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer led criticism of Israel and said it was "wrong" to approve the plan, as he urged it to reconsider the new offensive.

"This action will do nothing to bring an end to this conflict or to help secure the release of the hostages. It will only bring more bloodshed," he said.

He added Hamas could "play no part" in the future of Gaza.

Other countries, including Australia, Finland and Turkey have condemned the plan.

The UN human rights chief Volker Türk also warned that "further escalation will result in more massive forced displacement, more killing, more unbearable suffering, senseless destruction and atrocity crimes".

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has called the decision "a disaster" and in a post on X said Ben-Gvir and Smotrich dragged the Israeli prime minister into "exactly what Hamas wanted".

Reports in Israeli media say the plan initially focuses on taking full control of Gaza City, relocating its one million residents further south. Forces would also take control of refugee camps in central Gaza and areas where hostages are thought to be held.

A second offensive would follow weeks later in parallel with a boost in humanitarian aid, media say.

The UK's former national security adviser told the BBC Netanyahu was taking a "huge military and political gamble".

Speaking on Radio 4's PM programme on Thursday Mark Lyall Grant said that Israel has "been in violation of international law" since the war broke out.

If you are moving one million people semi-permanently from northern Gaza into the south, that is in violation of international law. There's no question about that," he said.

Palestinian Mahmoud al-Qurashli told Reuters news agency that "practically all of Gaza has been squeezed into the western part of Gaza City, and that's all that's left.

"At this point, for the people, there's no difference anymore - whether he occupies it or not," he told reporters from Gaza City.

Ahead of the Israeli cabinet's decision, Hamas said in a statement on Thursday evening that Netanyahu was willing to "sacrifice" the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza to serve "his personal interests".

It added he was continuing "his approach of genocide and displacement".

The Palestinian armed group also said the prime minister's actions would "represent a clear reversal of the course of negotiations and clearly reveal the true motives behind his withdrawal from the final round".

The Israeli military currently controls about three-quarters of Gaza, and almost all of its 2.1 million citizens are situated in the quarter of the territory that the IDF does not control.

The UN estimates some 87% of Gaza is either in militarised zones or under evacuation orders.

There are areas in central Gaza and along the Mediterranean coast that Israel does not occupy, according to the UN.

These include refugee camps, where much of Gaza's population is now living after their homes were destroyed by Israel's military.

The vast majority of Gaza's population has already been displaced by the war, many people several times over.

According to Israeli media, tens of thousands of Israeli soldiers would need to be would need to be sent to Gaza to carry out a full takeover.

US ambassador Mike Huckabee Huckabee told Fox News there would be a significant scaling up of distribution sites operated by the Israel- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

The GHF has been strongly criticised by the UN and aid agencies, who have accused it of being chaotic and forcing hungry Palestinians to travel long distances in perilous conditions to try to get food.

Hundreds have been shot dead in or around the four sites run by GHF since it began operating in May. The Hamas-run health ministry and witnesses have accused Israeli forces of being responsible. The IDF has denied targeting civilians, saying soldiers have fired warning shots to keep crowds back or in response to threats.

Pakistan PM condemns Israel's plan to takeover Gaza entirely
 
Israel rejects international criticism of Gaza City takeover plan

Israel has strongly rejected criticism from world leaders after its security cabinet approved a plan to take control of Gaza City.

Defence Minister Israel Katz said countries that condemned Israel and threatened sanctions would "not weaken our resolve".

"Our enemies will find us as one strong, united fist that will strike them with great force," he added.

Israel's decision to expand its war in Gaza sparked condemnation from the UN and several countries including the UK, France and Canada, and prompted Germany to halt military exports to Israel.

The plan, approved by the Israeli security cabinet, lists five "principles" for ending the war: disarming Hamas, returning all hostages, demilitarising the Gaza Strip, taking security control of the territory, and establishing "an alternative civil administration that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority".

Reports in Israeli media say the plan initially focuses on taking full control of Gaza City, relocating its estimated one million residents further south. Forces would also take control of refugee camps in central Gaza and areas where hostages are thought to be held.

A second offensive would follow weeks later in parallel with a boost in humanitarian aid, media say.

The move to escalate the conflict has drawn fierce opposition from some within Israel, including from military officials and the families of hostages being held in Gaza.

Hamas has said the plan to occupy Gaza City "constitutes a new war crime" and will "cost [Israel] dearly".

On Friday, foreign ministers from the UK, Germany, Italy, New Zealand and Australia released a joint statement rejecting the plan, saying it would "aggravate" the already "catastrophic" situation in Gaza.

"Any attempts at annexation or of settlement extension violate international law," they added.

UN human rights chief Volker Turk warned that further escalation would "result in more massive forced displacement, more killing, more unbearable suffering, senseless destruction and atrocity crimes".

In other reaction:

  • UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called the move "wrong", saying it would "only bring more bloodshed"
  • Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong urged Israel "not to go down this path", saying it would "only worsen the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza"
  • Turkey's foreign ministry urged the world community to prevent Israel's plan which aimed to "forcibly displace Palestinians from their own land"
  • In China, a foreign ministry spokesperson told AFP news agency: "Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people and is an inseparable part of Palestinian territory".
Netanyahu told German Chancellor Friedrich Merz he was disappointed with Berlin's decision to suspend arms exports to Israel, saying it was "rewarding Hamas terrorism".

In Israel itself, families of the remaining hostages in Gaza have warned that the lives of the 20 believed to have survived will be put in peril.

The Hostages Families Forum Headquarters said the decision was leading "toward a colossal catastrophe for both the hostages and our soldiers".

The US has been less critical. On Tuesday, President Donald Trump said it was "pretty much up to Israel" whether to fully occupy the Gaza Strip.

The IDF currently controls about three-quarters of Gaza, and almost all of its 2.1 million citizens are situated in the quarter of the territory that the military does not control.

The UN estimates some 87% of Gaza is either in militarised zones or under evacuation orders.

There are areas in central Gaza and along the Mediterranean coast that Israel does not occupy, according to the UN.

These include refugee camps, where much of Gaza's population is now living after their homes were destroyed by Israel's military action.

The vast majority of Gaza's population has already been displaced by the war, many people several times over.

The war has created a humanitarian disaster in Gaza, most of which UN-backed experts say is at the point of famine.

The territory is also experiencing mass deprivation as a result of heavy restrictions imposed by Israel on what is allowed in - something it says is aimed at weakening Hamas.

The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said July was the worst month for cases of acute malnutrition in children in Gaza, affecting nearly 12,000 under the age of five.

The war began after Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 back to Gaza as hostages. Israel launched a massive military offensive in response, which has killed at least 61,158 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry.

BBC
 
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