Israel’s political and security cabinet approved early a plan to take control of the city of Gazawhile the country extends its military operations despite the intensification of criticism inside and outside the country by the devastating war of almost two years.
“The Israel Defense Forces, FDI, will prepare to take control of the city of Gaza while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat areas”said Prime Minister Benjamín Netanyahu’s office in a statement.
Although Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel intended to take military control of the entire Gaza Strip, The plan approved on Friday focused specifically in the city of Gaza, the largest city of the enclave, located to the north.
Axios journalist Barak Ravid, citing an Israeli representative, he said on the social network X that the plan involved evacuating the Palestinian civilians of the city of Gaza and starting there a land offensive.
To the question of whether Israel would take the entire coastal territory, Netanyahu told Bill Hemmer, From Fox News Channel, in an interview on Thursday: “We have that intention.”
But he said that Israel wanted to deliver the territory to Arab forces to govern it. He did not give details about the governance agreements or which Arab countries could participate.
“We don’t want to stay. We want to have a security perimeter. We do not want to govern it. We don’t want to be there as a governing body, “he said.
Israeli authorities described as tense a previous meeting this week with the head of the Army, saying that the military chief Eyal Zamir had opposed to expand the Israel military campaign.
Among the scenarios that are considered in the face of the security meeting is the take by phases of Gaza areas that are not yet under military controlaccording to a government source that spoke on condition of anonymity.
Evacuation warnings could be issued to Palestinians in specific areas of Gaza, Potentially giving them several weeks before the military entered into action, the person added.
In his Friday statement, the Netanyahu office said that the vast majority of political security cabinet members believed that “The alternative plan presented in the cabinet would not achieve the defeat of Hamas or the return of the hostages.”
Two government sources said that any safety cabinet resolution would have to be approved by the cabinet in fullthat might not meet until Sunday.
The total control of the territory would cancel a decision adopted by Israel in 2005 for which it withdrew the Israeli citizens and soldiers of Gaza, although he maintained control of their borders, airspace and essential services.
The right -wing parties blame this decision of the arrival to power of the Palestinian Militiam Group Hamás in the 2006 elections. It was not clear if Netanyahu foresaw prolonged power or a short -term operation. Israel has repeatedly stated that its goal is to dismantle Hamas and free Israeli hostages.
In a statement, Hamas described Netyahu’s comments as a “flagrant coup” Against the negotiation process.
“Netanyahu’s plans to expand the aggression, they confirm without a doubt that he intends to get rid of his captives and sacrifice them,” The statement affirms.
Arab countries “will only support what the Palestinians agree and decide, He told Reuters an official Jordanian source, adding that Gaza security should be managed through “legitimate Palestinian institutions.”
Osama Hamdan, representative of Hamas, He told Al Jazeera that the group would treat any force to form to govern Gaza as a force of “occupation” linked to Israel.
At the beginning of the year, Israel and the United States rejected an Egyptian proposal, backed by Arab leaders, that provided for the creation of an administrative committee of independent and professional Palestinian technocrats to which Gaza’s governance would be entrusted after the war.
Opinion polls show that most Israelis want war to end an agreement that involves the release of the remaining hostages. The White House did not comment immediately. President Donald Trump has refused to say whether he supported or opposed a possible total military shot by Israel.
The Netanyahu government has insisted on the total victory over Hamaswhich triggered war when he starred in a deadly attack against Israel from Gaza in October 2023.
The UN has described as “deeply alarming” Reports on a possible extension of Israel’s military operations in Gaza, of being true.
The idea, fostered especially by extreme right ministers of the Netanyahu coalition, that the Israeli army moves to areas that still do not control in the enclave has also generated alarm in Israel.
