Israel Approves Gaza City Takeover Plan, Setting Stage for Major Military Offensive

by Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) — Israel’s Security Cabinet has approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposal to take control of Gaza City, marking a significant escalation in the nearly two-year war with Hamas. The decision, announced Friday, comes despite warnings from top military officials that the move could endanger hostages still held in the enclave and deepen the humanitarian crisis.

The cabinet adopted five guiding principles for concluding the war: disarming Hamas, securing the return of all hostages, demilitarizing the Gaza Strip, maintaining Israeli security control, and establishing a civilian administration that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority.

Netanyahu’s office avoided the term “occupation,” instead using “takeover” to limit potential legal obligations toward Gaza’s civilian population. The initial phase will focus solely on Gaza City, with around one million residents slated for relocation to the south. Military officials estimate the operation will last at least six months, with later phases potentially extending to central Gaza’s refugee camps.

The prime minister defended the plan as the only path to defeating Hamas and preventing the group from regaining strength. “Gaza will be demilitarized, and a peaceful civilian administration will be established — not Hamas, not the Palestinian Authority, and not any other terrorist organization,” Netanyahu said.

Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed that the army will carry out the cabinet’s decision in full. “Our enemies will find us as one strong, united fist striking them with great force,” he declared, dismissing international criticism and threats of sanctions.

But the decision has sparked fierce opposition both inside and outside Israel. IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir warned that the plan risks killing hostages, overextending the military, and forcing Israel into direct responsibility for Gaza’s civilian needs. Far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir voted against the plan, saying it falls short of a full occupation. Opposition leader Yair Lapid called it “a disaster that will lead to many more disasters.”

Internationally, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged a ceasefire and hostage release, while U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk said the move would cause “more massive forced displacement, more killing, more unbearable suffering.”

Satellite imagery reviewed by U.S. officials shows a large IDF troop buildup along the Gaza border, indicating a major ground offensive is imminent. Netanyahu’s government has set October 7, 2025 — the second anniversary of Hamas’s attack on southern Israel — as the deadline for civilians to evacuate Gaza City before the assault begins.

The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led forces infiltrated Israel, killing about 1,200 people and abducting roughly 250. Israel says 20 of the 50 remaining hostages are believed to be alive. Hamas has warned it will treat any post-war governing body in Gaza as an “occupying force” linked to Israel.

Despite the risks, Netanyahu insists the Gaza City takeover is essential to victory. “We will not stop halfway,” he said. “We must exact a price from Hamas — a price for what it did.”

 

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