Israel’s Security Cabinet has approved a plan to take control of Gaza City.
Israel’s Security Cabinet has approved a plan to take control of Gaza City, according to a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Friday.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will prepare for the takeover while providing humanitarian aid to civilians outside active fighting areas.
The cabinet agreed on five main goals to end the war: disarming Hamas, returning all hostages (alive or deceased), demilitarizing Gaza, Israel taking security control over Gaza, and setting up a new civil administration that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority.
Most Security Cabinet ministers felt that an alternative plan—reportedly suggested by military chief Eyal Zamir, who opposes occupying Gaza due to humanitarian and safety concerns—would not defeat Hamas or secure the hostages’ release.
Ahead of the cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said Israel plans to control all of Gaza to ensure its security, remove Hamas, and allow the people of Gaza to live freely. He emphasized that Israel does not want to keep Gaza but wants a secure border and to hand over control to Arab forces who will govern without threatening Israel and improve life for Gazans.
Hamas responded by accusing Netanyahu of backing away from negotiations and exposing his real intentions.
Since March 18, when Israel intensified its strikes on Gaza, at least 9,752 Palestinians have died and 40,004 have been injured, bringing the total death toll since October 2023 to 61,258 and injuries to 152,045, according to Gaza health authorities.
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